Lok Sabha clears introduction of Women’s Reservation-linked Constitution Amendment Bill amid fierce Opposition protest

The Lok Sabha on Thursday approved the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at enabling women’s reservation and facilitating a nationwide delimitation exercise, following a division of votes demanded by the Opposition, marking a significant and contentious moment in the ongoing special session of Parliament.

The Bill was tabled by union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who initiated the legislative process for what the government has described as a landmark reform to expand political representation and implement one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The introduction was carried after a formal vote, with the Opposition pressing for a recorded division to register its dissent.

Alongside the Constitution Amendment Bill, the government also introduced the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with union Home Minister Amit Shah tabling the latter. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Shah clarified during the proceedings that the Bills had only been introduced and would be taken up for detailed discussion at a later stage.

The three proposed legislations together outline two major structural changes to India’s electoral system — increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats and reserving one-third of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies — proposals the government has framed as historic and necessary for inclusive representation.

However, the introduction of the Bills triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the Opposition alleging that the government is attempting to delay the implementation of women’s reservation by linking it to the completion of the Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise.

Congress leader K. C. Venugopal opposed all three Bills in the House and formally recorded his party’s objections, accusing the government of undermining constitutional principles. “The government wants to completely hijack the Constitution,” he said during the debate, as Opposition members demanded clarity on the timeline and intent behind the proposed reforms.

Outside Lok Sabha, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sharpened the attack, warning that the Opposition would resist what he described as an attempt to push through “flawed delimitation bills disguised as Women’s Reservation.” He said, “The Opposition will not allow Parliament to be hijacked… We stand united and will fight this devious assault on our Democracy with all our strength,” signalling a coordinated pushback from opposition parties.

Venugopal further argued that the delimitation exercise, which redraws constituencies based on population changes, could disrupt the federal balance by altering representation across states. He also questioned the delay in implementing women’s reservation despite Parliament having passed enabling legislation in 2023. Referring to demands made earlier by leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he asked, “Why was the 33 percent reservation for women not implemented in the 2024 elections?”

According to the Congress leader, the government had tied the implementation of the quota to the completion of the Census and delimitation, effectively pushing the timeline further. “We insisted that women’s reservation should be implemented in 2024, but the government introduced a Bill and said it would be implemented only after the Census and the Census only after delimitation,” he said, adding that current indications suggest the process may extend to 2029.

He accused the government of attempting to create an “escape route” ahead of future elections, alleging that the sequencing of reforms was politically motivated. “The Modi government knows the mindset of the Indian people, and it is scared of the 2029 elections… That is why it is bringing an unconstitutional Bill,” Venugopal charged, demanding that the proposal be withdrawn.

The government, however, has maintained that delimitation is a constitutional requirement to ensure equitable representation in line with population shifts, and that the proposed expansion of the Lok Sabha would better reflect India’s demographic realities.

The developments have intensified an already heated debate over electoral reforms, with the Opposition wary that the delimitation-linked framework could delay long-promised women’s reservation and disproportionately impact certain states. As the Bills move to the next stage of parliamentary scrutiny, the issue is set to dominate proceedings, setting the stage for a high-stakes legislative battle that could reshape India’s political architecture ahead of the next general elections.

Meanwhile, voting on the passage of the three bills in Lok Sabha to amend the women’s quota law and set up a delimitation commission has been scheduled to be held at 4 PM Friday.

Making this announcement Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said there would be a debate of around 15-18 hours on the bills as voting would take place on 4 PM on Friday.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju suggested a 12-hour debate on the bills but said the decision to extend that would be taken by the Speaker.