Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, is set to table the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, at a special three-day sitting of the Budget Session beginning today, 16 April.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Delimitation Bill, 2026, will be introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, while the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Law Minister is also expected to move a proposal in the Lok Sabha to suspend Rule 66, enabling the simultaneous passage of the women’s reservation amendment bill and the Delimitation Bill.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the special session of Parliament this afternoon, news agency ANI said.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. The government is planning to implement the women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
The government has proposed increasing the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 for the States and35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha currently has 543 seats.
While supporting the 33 per cent reservation for women legislators in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, Congress, however, has opposed the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, to carry out the delimitation exercise in the Lok Sabha.
As the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, is linked to the delimitation process for the Lok Sabha, the government has proposed increasing the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seatsfor the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.
INDIA bloc objected to delimitation
Ahead of the special sitting of the Parliament, Congress held a parliamentary strategy group meeting on Wednesday at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi, to discuss proposed amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
Along with Congress President, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, RJD Working President Tejashwi Yadav, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, and other prominent INDIA bloc leaders, the meeting was attended by.
After the meeting, INDIA bloc leaders decided to oppose the delimitation bill pushed with an amendment to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, to provide 33 per cent reservation for women legislators in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The Opposition clarified that it is not against the women’s reservation and urged the Centre to implement Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 but objected to the delimitation process, which they believe weakens the representation of the southern and north-eastern states in the Lok Sabha.
A mischievous and diabolical move: Chidambaram
Opposition leaders have flagged that the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, does not increase the Lok Sabha’s seats on a pro-rata basis and will allegedly shrink the representation of southern states in the House.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday called the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, for the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, a “mischievous and diabolical” move, alleging that the representation of southern states in Parliament will shrink.
“The apprehensions I had voiced in the last week have proved right. When the Lok Sabha’s strength increases by 50 per cent, from 543 to 815, TN’s strength will seemingly increase from 39 to 58. But this is an illusion,” the former Finance Minister said.
“When delimitation takes place, it will reduce to 46. Uttar Pradesh’s strength will first increase from 80 to 120 and, after delimitation, it will further increase to roughly 140.””All the Southern States that have currently a representation of 24.3 per cent will find their representation reduced to 20.7 per cent. This is a mischievous, diabolical move to radically alter the federal balance. This must be OPPOSED,” the Congress leader said.