The Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday for discussion and passing. Congress MP Hibi Eden said that he has given a procedural notice against this proposal. He alleged that the Delimitation Bill is a direct attack on the Constitution and will affect the rights of the southern states.
He said that the increase in seats could create an imbalance between the northern and southern states, hence wide consultation with the states on the issue is necessary. Let us tell you that by amending the Nari Shakti Vandan Act (Women's Reservation Act) in the Parliament, a provision is being made to implement it by 2029, under which 33 percent reservation will be ensured for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
In fact, while supporting the bills related to amendment in the Women's Reservation Act and formation of the Delimitation Commission, NDA leaders on Thursday said that women have had to wait for years for reservation. The opposition alleged that the functioning of the government could weaken the federal and democratic structure of the country.
BJP MP Giriraj Singh expressed confidence in the Parliament House complex that the amendment in the Women's Reservation Act will get wide support in the Parliament. He said, women have been waiting for years and now their patience is paying off. This bill will be passed collectively. He termed the opposition's apprehensions regarding the delimitation process as baseless and said that there will be no discrimination against any state, especially the southern states.
According to the draft Constitution Amendment Bill, after delimitation based on the 2011 census, the number of Lok Sabha seats can be increased from the current 543 to a maximum of 850 to implement women's reservation before the 2029 general elections. Apart from this, the number of seats in the Legislative Assemblies of States and Union Territories will also be increased to ensure 33 percent reservation for women and the allocation of reserved seats for women will be done sequentially in different constituencies.
