The proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) and Delimitation Bills of 2026, with provisions that will profoundly change democratic representation, are being pushed through by the Union government at a special parliamentary session beginning April 16. The object is to enable women’s reservation in Parliament and assemblies.
The Trinamool Congress and DMK have, as a result, been pitchforked into a new confrontation with the BJP, as Assembly election campaigns are in full swing in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. An increase in the size of the Lok Sabha from the present 550 seats, including 20 for Union Territories, to 850, of which 35 will be from UTs, is proposed.
This is to serve as a precursor to the implementation of the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha, as envisaged under the 106th Amendment Bill, or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
Proposed changes spark political storm
A similar increase in seats and reservations for women is proposed in legislative assemblies. A political storm has ensued, as the proposed changes contain a radical provision to change the basis of delimitation by dropping a proviso to Article 82 of the Constitution which stipulates that this exercise will follow the first Census done after 2026.
In effect, this reverts the delimitation basis to data from Census 2011, the last available one, giving states in the Hindi heartland with large populations a distinct advantage over the south, northwest, and northeast, where birth rates have fallen over the past four decades.
It appears that populous Uttar Pradesh, for instance, could gain 40 seats in such a delimitation exercise over its existing 80, while Tamil Nadu would only rise by 20 seats over 39 because of its low birth rate. Unsurprisingly, protest and unrest loom large. That such a profound change is sought to be carried out without participation or consultation of states, much less a consensus, makes it fundamentally undemocratic.
Alternative approach suggested
There is considerable merit in the argument that 33% women’s reservation can still be provided for in the present framework, with the existing Lok Sabha strength of 543 members as the basis. Such a change will find wide welcome ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election from all sections.
It will also avoid dangerous tinkering with electoral democracy, where the dividend is seen accruing mainly to states where the Bharatiya Janata Party is influential. There is a divergent view on even the definition of population, as the Union wants the census to be determined by Parliament rather than continue with the decennial event (which was not undertaken quickly after 2021).
Yet, with the availability of IT tools, it should be possible to conclude the recently launched census by 2027, providing a convenient window to pursue delimitation of constituencies by consensus. The Union government should not stand on prestige and avert the brewing national political crisis.
