The Centre on Thursday said that the strength of the Lok Sabha will increase by 50 per cent as part of the proposed delimitation exercise linked to the implementation of women’s reservation, reported the IANS.
Minister of State (MoS) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the total strength of the House would rise to 815 members if the proposed legislation is passed.
Under the proposal, seats in several states are expected to increase significantly. Uttar Pradesh’s strength would go up to 120 seats, Tamil Nadu to 59, West Bengal to 63, Kerala to 30, and Gujarat to 39, the news agency reported.
The government said the increase would ensure proportional representation after delimitation based on post-2026 census data.
Women’s reservation linked to delimitation
Meghwal said the Women’s Reservation Bill, passed in 2023, provides for implementation after the next census and delimitation exercise. He stated that one-third of the Lok Sabha seats, around 272 seats, would be reserved for women.
He added that the expansion would ensure no reduction in existing representation for states or sitting Members of Parliament.
Bills introduced in Parliament
The government introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. In addition, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as per the IANS.
Current strength vs proposed structure
According to the IANS, at present, the Lok Sabha has 530 members from states and 20 from Union Territories. However, earlier delimitation norms had fixed the total strength at 543.
The new proposal would significantly expand both state and Union Territory representation, with UT representation capped at 35 members.
PM Modi on women’s reservation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the women’s reservation initiative would transform the direction and nature of Indian politics by increasing women’s participation in decision-making.
He said the government would ensure that the delimitation process does not disadvantage any state, adding that it would be carried out in a fair and balanced manner.
The Prime Minister urged all parties to adopt a “nation-first” approach and said concerns of states would be addressed. He assured that no region—north or south, large or small—would be treated unfairly in the delimitation exercise.
(with IANS inputs)