The central government is actively working on a major electoral reform that could significantly reshape India’s parliamentary structure ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. As part of this plan, the total number of Lok Sabha seats may be increased from the current 543 to 816 through a comprehensive delimitation exercise.
This move is closely linked to the implementation of women’s reservation under the Nari Vandan Act, which proposes reserving one-third of all parliamentary seats for women. To ensure timely execution, the government is considering introducing a new amendment bill during the ongoing Parliament session.
Delimitation and Seat Expansion
Sources indicate that the government aims to expand the Lok Sabha by nearly 50%, while maintaining the existing population-based representation ratio. This delimitation exercise will redistribute seats among states based on demographic factors.
Efforts are also underway to build political consensus, with discussions involving both NDA allies and opposition parties, as the proposal will require a constitutional amendment to be enacted.
States Likely to Gain the Most Seats
Among all states, Uttar Pradesh is expected to see the highest increase, with its representation rising from 80 to 120 seats — an addition of 40 seats.
Other major states projected to gain significantly include:
- Maharashtra: 48 to 72 seats (+24)
- West Bengal: 42 to 63 seats (+21)
- Bihar: 40 to 60 seats (+20)
- Tamil Nadu: 39 to 59 seats (+20)
- Madhya Pradesh: 29 to 44 seats (+15)
- Karnataka: 28 to 42 seats (+14)
- Rajasthan: 25 to 38 seats (+13)
- Gujarat: 26 to 39 seats (+13)
- Andhra Pradesh: 25 to 38 seats (+13)
Other Notable Increases
Several mid-sized and smaller states are also expected to see moderate gains:
- Odisha: 21 to 32 (+11)
- Kerala: 20 to 30 (+10)
- Telangana: 17 to 26 (+9)
- Jharkhand, Assam, Punjab: 14 to 21 each (+7)
- Chhattisgarh: 11 to 17 (+6)
- Haryana: 10 to 15 (+5)
- Delhi: 7 to 11 (+4)
- Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand: 5 to 8 each (+3)
Northeast and Smaller States
In the Northeast and smaller states, representation is expected to increase modestly but consistently:
- Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya: 2 to 3 seats each
- Himachal Pradesh: 4 to 6 seats
- Goa: 2 to 3 seats
Overall, smaller states and Union Territories may see their combined strength rise from 20 to 30 seats.
SC/ST Reservation Expansion
With the expansion of total seats, reserved constituencies are also expected to increase:
- Scheduled Castes (SC): from 84 to 126
- Scheduled Tribes (ST): from 47 to 70
Concerns and Political Debate
While the government has assured that no state will lose its relative representation, southern states have raised concerns. These states fear that population-based delimitation could disadvantage regions that have successfully controlled population growth.
Census and Timeline Challenges
The implementation of women’s reservation is currently tied to delimitation based on the upcoming 2027 Census. However, delays in conducting the census could push the rollout beyond 2029.
To address this, the government is reportedly exploring the option of using the 2011 Census data instead. This would allow the delimitation process to proceed on schedule and enable the implementation of women’s reservation in time for the 2029 elections.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
