Delimitation Bill: Government Consults Parties After the 131st Amendment Bill's Defeat
The Union government is holding talks with political parties on a fresh plan for delimitation (redrawing the number and boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats). Several parties have already met government representatives on the plan.
The main opposition party has asked whether the government has a new proposal, or whether it plans to bring back the same Constitution amendment bill that failed in Parliament earlier this year. It has also asked for an all-party meeting on the issue.
The earlier bill, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026. It got 298 votes in favour and 230 against, but needed 352 (two-thirds of the 528 members present and voting).
That bill proposed to expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats and to carry out delimitation and women's reservation using 2011 Census data, so that reservation could apply before the 2029 general election. Two linked bills, the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were not taken forward after the defeat.
Reports suggest an extended sitting of the monsoon session may be called. The session has not yet been prorogued (formally ended by the President).
Delimitation in India (Articles 82 and 170)
Delimitation means fixing the number of seats each state gets in the Lok Sabha and in its Legislative Assembly, and drawing the boundaries of each constituency. The aim is "one person, one vote, one value": each MP or MLA should represent roughly the same number of people. Delimitation is done by an independent Delimitation Commission whose orders cannot be challenged in court.
The government needs to change Article 82 before it can carry out delimitation earlier than the Constitution now allows. After the April defeat, it is consulting parties to build support for a revised plan.
Constitutional Amendment Procedure: Article 368
The Constitution of India can be changed, but not as easily as an ordinary law. Article 368, in Part XX of the Constitution, gives Parliament the power to amend it. Most important changes need a "special majority" in each House of Parliament, and some changes that affect the states also need approval from at least half of the state legislatures. Parliament cannot, however, change the Constitution's basic structure.
The delimitation plan failed because the government could not reach the two-thirds mark in the Lok Sabha. Any new bill will again need a special majority in both Houses, which is why the government is seeking support from many parties.
Sessions, Adjournment Sine Die, and Prorogation (Article 85)
Parliament does not sit all year. It meets in blocks of time called sessions. Article 85 of the Constitution says the President calls (summons) each House to meet and can end the session, which is called prorogation. The President acts on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
The monsoon session has not yet been prorogued. This keeps open the option of an extended sitting in which a revised delimitation bill could be taken up.
- Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026: defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026
- Vote: 298 for, 230 against; 528 present and voting; 352 needed (two-thirds)
- Proposed Lok Sabha size: 850 (815 states + 35 UTs), up from 543
- Linked bills not taken forward: Delimitation Bill, 2026; Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Current seat allocation among states: based on the 1971 Census (frozen by the 42nd and 84th Amendments)
- Women's reservation: 106th Amendment Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), one-third of seats; women hold 74 seats (about 14%) in the 18th Lok Sabha
- Article 368: special majority; Article 82: Lok Sabha delimitation; Article 85: sessions and prorogation (max six-month gap)