Closely linked is the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which proposes a fresh delimitation exercise based on updated population data. This exercise is also expected to significantly expand the strength of the Lok Sabha – from 543 seats to around 850 – to accommodate population changes and reservation requirements.

The redrawing of constituencies would impact seat allocation across states, potentially altering the political balance in Parliament. The expansion is also seen as necessary to implement quotas without drastically reducing existing representation.

The government will convene a special three-day session of Parliament beginning Thursday, a sitting expected to be stormy as it moves to introduce three major bills that could reshape India’s electoral architecture and representation system.

Signalling a significant reset in how political representation is structured, the government will take up the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Together, these aim to enable fresh delimitation based on updated Census data, expand the Lok Sabha’s strength and operationalise the long-pending one-third reservation for women.

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At the heart of the session is the Constitutional Amendment Bill aimed at enabling the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. While the women’s reservation law was passed in 2023, it is yet to be operationalised, as it is linked to a fresh delimitation exercise. The government is now looking to amend relevant provisions to pave the way for its rollout ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The Opposition has criticised the delimitation and is set to seek a deferment of the proposed exercise until the 2021 Census data, which is expected to be published in 2027, is available. They will raise the issue of using the 2011 Census as the baseline for delimitation.

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ABOUT CONSTITUTION (131st AMENDMENT) BILL

At the core of the legislative package is the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which seeks to overhaul the basis of constituency allocation by allowing delimitation using the 2011 Census instead of the 1971 Census, which has been the reference point for decades.

The move will effectively end a long-standing freeze that had preserved the relative representation of states despite demographic shifts. The government argues that India’s population patterns have changed significantly due to migration, urbanisation and uneven growth, creating disparities in constituency sizes.

The amendment is expected to pave the way for a full-scale redrawing of constituencies and redistribution of seats to better reflect current population realities.

ABOUT DELIMITATION BILL

Closely linked is the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which proposes a fresh delimitation exercise based on updated population data. This exercise is also expected to significantly expand the strength of the Lok Sabha – from 543 seats to around 850 – to accommodate population changes and reservation requirements.

The redrawing of constituencies would impact seat allocation across states, potentially altering the political balance in Parliament. The expansion is also seen as necessary to implement quotas without drastically reducing existing representation.

ABOUT UNION TERRITORIES LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL

The third piece of legislation – the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 – seeks to align legal and administrative provisions with the proposed changes. It is expected to address seat allocation for Union Territories and create mechanisms to implement reservation within the revised constituency framework.