Seat Freeze
42nd and 84th Constitutional Amendments
The current freeze on Lok Sabha seat allocation (not total count but state-wise allocation) is the product of two amendments:
- 42nd Amendment (1976): Froze the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to states at the 1971 Census figures until the first Census after 2000, to incentivise population control.
- 84th Amendment (2001): Extended the freeze to the first Census after 2026, recognising that the job of demographic stabilisation was still incomplete in northern states.
- The result: Lok Sabha seats have been allocated by 1971 Census data for over 50 years; the 2001 and 2011 Census population shifts have not been reflected in seat allocation.
- The 131st Amendment Bill, 2026, proposes to lift this freeze and conduct fresh allocation based on 2011 Census data, while also increasing the total seat cap to 815 for states.
● Tracked since April 16, 2026 · last seen August 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
Polity & Governance
Delimitation
Polity & Governance
Delimitation Commission
Polity & Governance
106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)
Polity & Governance
Constitutional Amendment Procedure
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North-South Divide in Delimitation
Polity & Governance
Article 82
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