The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposes increasing Lok Sabha seats to 850, revising delimitation under Articles 81 and 82, and enabling early implementation of women's reservation.

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Overview

The Union Government has introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposing a major restructuring of the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to increase the strength of the House of the People from the existing 543 members to 850 members. It will be discussed during the Special Session of Parliament scheduled for 16th to 17th April, 2026. The proposal includes amendments to Articles 81, 82 & 334A of the Indian Constitution to revise the allocation of seats & modify the process of delimitation. Alongside the amendment the government has also introduced the Delimitation Bill, 2026 to repeal the Delimitation Act, 2002 & establish a new Delimitation Commission.

Key Aspects

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill introduces structural changes in parliamentary representation & the delimitation process. The proposal aims to reflect demographic changes & improve representation in the Lok Sabha. It also attempts to facilitate early implementation of women's reservation in legislatures.

• Lok Sabha strength proposed to increase from 543 members to 850 members.
• Up to 815 members will represent States while not more than 35 members will represent Union Territories .
• The Bill proposes deletion of the 3rd proviso to Article 82 of Constitution linking delimitation to the post-2026 Census.
• Delimitation may therefore be conducted using earlier population data.
• A Delimitation Commission chaired by a present or former Supreme Court judge will be constituted.
• Associate members from Parliament & State Assemblies will assist the Commission without voting powers.

Legal Insights

The Bill proposes amendments to several constitutional provisions governing parliamentary representation & reservation. The changes are intended to enable earlier delimitation & implementation of women's reservation. The accompanying Delimitation Bill, 2026 lays down the structure for readjustment of constituencies.

• Amendment to Article 81 of Constitution to redefine the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha.
• Amendment to Article 82 of Constitution removing mandatory delimitation after the post-2026 Census.
• Amendment to Article 334A enabling earlier implementation of 1/3rd women's reservation.
• Delimitation Commission to allocate seats to States and Union Territories & redraw constituencies.
• Nearly 1/3rd seats in Lok Sabha & State Assemblies proposed to be reserved for women including SC/ST women.