The Union Government on 15 April 2026 proposed the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeking to expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members and enable fresh delimitation of parliamentary constituencies before the completion of the 2026-27 Census. The Bill is scheduled for formal introduction in a Special Session of Parliament convened on 16-17 April 2026.
Background
India's parliamentary constituency boundaries have remained frozen since the delimitation exercise based on the 1971 Census, with Article 82 of the Constitution requiring readjustment after each decennial Census. The freeze on delimitation, originally imposed in 1976 to encourage population control in southern States, was extended until the first Census after 2026 through the 84th Constitutional Amendment. With the 2026-27 Census approaching, the question of equitable seat allocation between northern and southern States has become politically significant, given the divergent population growth trajectories since 1971.
The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 (106th Amendment), which reserves one-third of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats for women, made its implementation contingent upon completion of delimitation — creating an additional impetus for the present Bill.
Key Provisions
The Bill proposes the following constitutional changes:
Expansion of Lok Sabha strength: Amendment to Article 81 raises the maximum number of elected members to 815 from States and up to 35 from Union Territories, for a total House strength of 850.
Decoupling delimitation from Census: Amendment to Article 82 deletes the requirement that delimitation must follow the post-2026 Census, enabling the government to conduct delimitation based on existing population data without waiting for Census completion.
Women's reservation activation: Insertion of Article 334A enables immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies — including women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — upon completion of delimitation, with seats allotted by rotation among constituencies.
Delimitation Commission framework: The Bill empowers the Central Government to constitute a Delimitation Commission by gazette notification, chaired by a sitting or former Supreme Court Judge, with the Chief Election Commissioner and State Election Commissioners as ex-officio members. Each State will have 10 associate members (5 Members of Parliament and 5 State Assembly members) in a non-voting capacity.
Judicial non-reviewability: Orders of the Delimitation Commission, once published in the Gazette of India, carry legal force and cannot be challenged in any court.
Implications for Practitioners
This Bill represents the most significant structural change to India's representative democracy since the freeze on delimitation in 1976. Constitutional law practitioners should note three critical dimensions.
First, the decoupling of delimitation from the Census through the Article 82 amendment raises questions about the adequacy of population data that will be used for seat allocation. Southern States with lower population growth may challenge the fairness of allocation based on pre-Census estimates rather than actual enumerated data.
Second, the judicial non-reviewability clause for Delimitation Commission orders is likely to face constitutional challenges on grounds of Article 14 and basic structure, given that similar ouster clauses have been read down by the Supreme Court in past decisions.
Third, the simultaneous activation of women's reservation through Article 334A creates a complex constitutional interplay — delimitation must now account for both population-proportional seat allocation and the rotation mechanism for women's reserved constituencies. State-level practitioners and political parties will need to engage with the Delimitation Commission's consultation process early.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Lok Sabha seats will India have under the new Bill?
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 proposes expanding the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members — 815 elected from States and up to 35 from Union Territories. This would be the first expansion of Lok Sabha strength since the House was enlarged to 543 seats following the 1977 delimitation.
Will southern States lose relative representation?
The Bill's decoupling of delimitation from the Census raises concerns among southern States that have achieved lower population growth rates. However, the specific seat allocation formula will be determined by the Delimitation Commission, not the Bill itself. The Commission's composition — including State-level associate members — provides a consultative mechanism for addressing regional concerns.
Can the Delimitation Commission's decisions be challenged in court?
The Bill expressly provides that the Commission's orders, once gazetted, cannot be called into question in any court. However, constitutional law practitioners may note that similar ouster clauses have been subject to judicial scrutiny under basic structure doctrine, particularly where they affect fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 19.