India’s parliament prepared for a crucial vote on Friday on a trio of amendment bills designed to expand the legislature to increase women’s representation.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the bills in a special session to accelerate implementation of the 2023 law that guarantees a 33% quota for women in the national Parliament and state assemblies, moving that implementation forward from the 2029 general elections.
The women’s quota is linked to a separate and contentious Delimitation Bill to redraw constituency boundaries and reallocate seats based on population changes. Opposition parties have accused the BJP-led government of using the quota as a political ploy to gain advantage ahead of 2029 and have questioned the motive for tying the quota to a fresh delimitation based on the census.
A marathon 12-hour debate in Parliament on Thursday saw exchanges between Modi and opposition leaders as they sparred over the bills.
The three bills being considered
– The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes raising Lok Sabha seats from 543 to around 850 — about 815 from states and 35 from Union Territories.
– The Delimitation Bill, 2026 would set up a Delimitation Commission to reallocate seats in Parliament and state assemblies using the most recent population census. Currently, seat composition is based on the 1971 census; the 84th Amendment Act of 2001 froze boundaries until the first census after 2026.
– The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 would extend the one-third quota for women to the legislative assemblies of Union Territories, including Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry.
Opposition objections and regional concerns
While the women’s quota enjoys broad cross-party support in principle, opposition parties warn that a population-based redistribution would benefit the BJP, which has a stronger base in densely populated northern states. Southern states have voiced particular concern that delimitation based on population growth would shift political power northward, penalizing states that achieved lower population growth through effective family planning and development.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi urged that the women’s quota be implemented based on the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. Women currently make up about 14% of the lower house.
Modi’s defense and government assurances
In Parliament, Modi said the bills aim to boost women’s participation in governance. He said the measures would “provide a new direction” and bring half the population into policymaking. He asserted the process would not do injustice to any state or discriminate against anyone.
Home Minister Amit Shah presented data assuring that southern states’ proportional representation would remain largely unchanged after delimitation. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin rejected those assurances, calling the bill a “calculated deception” and saying it would not be accepted.
Women’s Reservation Act comes into force
While debates continued over amendments, a law ministry notification indicated the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 had come into force on Thursday. Officials told Indian media this was a technical step to operationalize the proposed amendment under debate; they said the amendment would not have come into effect otherwise.
Reports noted that although the law is in force, its provisions cannot be implemented immediately because the reservation is to take effect only after a fresh delimitation exercise based on the next census. Congress’ Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh called the notification “absolutely bizarre,” questioning why the law was brought into force while its amendments were still being debated.
Vote timing and numbers
The vote was scheduled to begin at 4 pm (12:30 pm CET). A constitutional amendment requires a special two-thirds majority to pass in Parliament. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance does not hold that supermajority on its own and will need support from smaller parties and opposition groups to secure passage.
Edited by: Rana Taha