Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation: Modi govt and Oppn set for showdown in Lok Sabha

The Modi government and the Opposition are headed for an unprecedented showdown in Lok Sabha over a bill to amend the Constitution to allow a new regime for delimitation, with its fate hanging in balance after the latter announced that they will vote against it, calling it an “attempted power grab” through “gerrymandering”.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which will be moved in Lok Sabha on Thursday, stares at the possibility of falling down as the government may not be able to garner two-third majority required for the passage of the draft legislation, which provides for redrawing constituencies on the basis of 2011 population after increasing the Lower House seats to 850 for early implementation of 33 per cent women's quota.

In a House that presently has 540 MPs, the ruling NDA has the support of 294 MPs while parties with 238 MPs have expressed their opposition to the Bill. Of this, at least 18 parties with 234 MPs have made it clear that they will vote against the Bill, which requires 360 votes if all 540 MPs are present and voting.

At the same time, the Bill will test the government’s resolve and its ability to get a Constitution amendment bill cleared despite the odds being against it as well as unity among the Opposition at a time some of them are fighting against each other in ongoing Assembly elections.

Soon after the Bill was circulated on Monday, concerns were raised about linking the exercise of redrawing of constituencies to population.

The Opposition claimed that southern states, which did well in controlling population, as well as states like Punjab, Haryana and the north-east may suffer on representation compared to states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which could gain more seats and in proportion.

As criticism rose over the proposal to increase 50 per cent seats for all states, which was suggested to some parties by the government, not finding a mention in the Bill, official sources said a minister as senior as Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to clarify it in Lok Sabha that there will be a rise in seats by half for everyone and there will be no injustice to any state.

However, the Opposition was unimpressed and a meeting called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by nearly 20 parties unanimously decided to vote against the Bill while making it clear that they were not against early implementation of 33 per cent women's quota but were opposed to linking it to delimitation with Census 2011.

Kharge told reporters that it was a "politically motivated" Bill and they have "reservations" on the way in which it is being brought while insisting that all of them were in favour of the Women's Bill. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said, "we will certainly vote against the Bill."

"We are insisting that an earlier amendment (on women's quota in 2023) that was passed be implemented. They (the BJP government) are playing tricks with delimitation. Therefore, all parties have taken a united decision to oppose this bill," Kharge said.

After the meeting, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on 'X', "what the government is proposing now has nothing to do with women’s reservation. This amendment is an attempted power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering." He said southern, north-western and northern states as well as smaller ones will face "huge loss".

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said they are in favor of women's reservation but against the BJP's "cunning ploy, which is being carried out under a conspiracy".

He said on 'X', the BJP and their allies are tight-lipped about women of the country's largest population segment, the 'backward classes.' The haste they are showing in the name of this amendment is actually driven by the BJP's intent to avoid a Census, because if a census happens, they will have to provide caste-wise data too, and caste-wise reservations as well."