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Polity & Governance June 29, 2026 4 min read Daily brief · #6 of 16

Government working on multiple formulations to increase number of LS seats by 50% for all states

The Union government is actively exploring multiple formulations to increase total Lok Sabha seats by 50%, from the current 543 to approximately 815 elected ...

GS Paper 2

What Happened

  • The Union government is actively exploring multiple formulations to increase total Lok Sabha seats by 50%, from the current 543 to approximately 815 elected seats, to address concerns of southern states ahead of any delimitation exercise.
  • The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha on April 16, 2026, proposed raising the maximum Lok Sabha strength from 550 to 850 (up to 815 from states and up to 35 from Union Territories).
  • The Bill failed to secure the mandatory two-thirds majority on April 17, 2026 — 298 voted in favour and 230 against, falling 54 votes short of the required 352; the linked Delimitation Bill, 2026, was subsequently withdrawn.
  • The government continues to work on alternative formulations that would ensure southern states do not lose seats despite their lower population growth relative to northern states.
  • A new draft Constitution Amendment Bill is also being explored to operationalize the women's reservation under the 106th Amendment sooner — potentially before the 2029 general elections — by tying it to the 2011 Census rather than waiting for the next census and fresh delimitation.

Static Topic Bridges

Delimitation and the Constitutional Freeze

Delimitation is the process of redrawing territorial boundaries of parliamentary and state assembly constituencies and reapportioning seats in proportion to population, mandated after each decennial census.

  • Article 82 of the Constitution requires readjustment of Lok Sabha seats after every census; Article 170 extends a similar mandate to State Legislative Assemblies.
  • Article 81 governs the composition of the House of the People, stipulating that seat allocation among states shall be as nearly as practicable in proportion to population.
  • The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976) froze delimitation based on the 1971 Census until the year 2000. The 84th Constitutional Amendment (2001) extended this freeze until after the publication of the first census after 2026.
  • Southern states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka) that controlled population growth now fear losing seats if fresh delimitation is conducted on the basis of current population.

Connection to this news: The proposed 50% universal seat expansion is the government's attempt to break this deadlock — all states gain seats proportionally, so southern states do not lose in absolute terms even as northern states gain more relative to population.

Women's Reservation — 106th Constitutional Amendment

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 — also called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies (including Delhi), and within SC/ST constituencies.

  • Passed in Lok Sabha (454:2) and Rajya Sabha (214:0) during a special Parliament session; received Presidential assent on September 28, 2023.
  • Inserted new Articles 330A and 332A into the Constitution.
  • Crucially, the reservation comes into effect only after the first decennial census conducted after the law's commencement and the subsequent delimitation exercise.
  • The government had provisionally targeted the census for March 1, 2027; without a fresh delimitation, reservation cannot be activated under the current law.

Connection to this news: The government is exploring whether expanding Lok Sabha seats using the 2011 Census data could simultaneously trigger the women's reservation provisions — potentially delivering 33% representation before 2029 elections without waiting for a new census.

Constitutional Amendment Procedure

Amendments to provisions like Article 81 (Lok Sabha composition) require a special majority: a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, and an absolute majority of the total membership of each House (Article 368).

  • Two-thirds of members present and voting AND more than 50% of the total House strength must support the amendment.
  • Some amendments additionally require ratification by at least half the state legislatures.
  • A constitutional amendment cannot be passed by a simple majority.

Connection to this news: The 131st Amendment Bill's defeat in April 2026 — falling 54 votes short of the two-thirds threshold — illustrates how seat expansion requires broad political consensus that the government has not yet secured.

Key Facts & Data

  • Current Lok Sabha strength: 543 elected + 2 nominated (Anglo-Indian provision abolished by 104th Amendment, 2020) = 543 seats in practice
  • Proposed strength under 131st Amendment: up to 850 (815 from states + 35 from UTs)
  • A 50% expansion would bring elected seats from 543 to approximately 815
  • 131st Amendment vote (April 17, 2026): 298 in favour, 230 against; required 352 (two-thirds of 528 present)
  • 84th Constitutional Amendment extended seat freeze to post-2026 first census
  • 106th Amendment (2023): one-third women's reservation; Articles 330A and 332A inserted
  • Census freeze basis: 1971 population data — last used for delimitation in 2008 (effective from 2009 general elections)
  • Southern states (5 states) hold significantly higher Human Development Index scores and lower total fertility rates than the national average, underpinning their population growth disparity concern
On this page
  1. What Happened
  2. Static Topic Bridges
  3. Delimitation and the Constitutional Freeze
  4. Women's Reservation — 106th Constitutional Amendment
  5. Constitutional Amendment Procedure
  6. Key Facts & Data
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