<p>New Delhi: A new Delimitation Bill will be brought in Parliament on Thursday under which the government is empowered to set up a Commission to decide on distributing the seats in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies on the basis of the "latest census figures".</p><p>The Delimitation Bill, 2026 will replace the existing law of 2002 and has been circulated among MPs along with the 'The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026', as the government intends to operationalise the 33% women's quota by 2029 Lok Sabha elections. </p><p>The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 550 to 850. The Delimitation Commission will decide the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in each state.</p>.Govt proposes increase of seats in Lok Sabha to 850; Bill shared with MPs.<p>The Delimitation Commission will be headed by a sitting or former Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by the Chief Election Commissioner, and the State Election Commissioner of the state concerned. The term of the Commission will be specified by the union government and could be extended on the request of the Commission.</p><p>The Bill said that the Election Commission would act as Delimitation Commission for the purpose of delimiting constituencies in the Legislative Assembly of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir "falling under the occupation of Pakistan, when the area of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the occupation of Pakistan ceases to be so occupied".</p><p>According to the Bill, "it shall be the duty of the Commission to readjust, on the basis of the latest census figures, the allocation of seats" in Lok Sabha to the states and union territories, the total number of seats in the Assembly of each state and the division of each state and union territories into territorial constituencies for the purpose of elections to the Lower House and Assemblies.</p><p>The Commission shall associate with itself for the purpose of assisting it in its duties in respect of each state, ten persons, five of whom shall be Lok Sabha MPs representing that state and five shall be members of the Assembly of that state. If the number of MPs in a state is five or less, then, all MPs shall be the associate members for that state. </p><p>According to the State of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the existing allocation of seats of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies is based on the population figures published as per 1971 census and division of territorial constituencies is based on the population figures published as per 2001 census. </p><p>"The growth of population thereafter, across different constituencies in various parts of the country as well as within the same state along with migration of people from one place to other, especially from rural areas to urban areas, have resulted in varying density of population in electoral constituencies," it said. </p>
<p>New Delhi: A new Delimitation Bill will be brought in Parliament on Thursday under which the government is empowered to set up a Commission to decide on distributing the seats in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies on the basis of the "latest census figures".</p><p>The Delimitation Bill, 2026 will replace the existing law of 2002 and has been circulated among MPs along with the 'The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026', as the government intends to operationalise the 33% women's quota by 2029 Lok Sabha elections. </p><p>The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 550 to 850. The Delimitation Commission will decide the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in each state.</p>.Govt proposes increase of seats in Lok Sabha to 850; Bill shared with MPs.<p>The Delimitation Commission will be headed by a sitting or former Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by the Chief Election Commissioner, and the State Election Commissioner of the state concerned. The term of the Commission will be specified by the union government and could be extended on the request of the Commission.</p><p>The Bill said that the Election Commission would act as Delimitation Commission for the purpose of delimiting constituencies in the Legislative Assembly of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir "falling under the occupation of Pakistan, when the area of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the occupation of Pakistan ceases to be so occupied".</p><p>According to the Bill, "it shall be the duty of the Commission to readjust, on the basis of the latest census figures, the allocation of seats" in Lok Sabha to the states and union territories, the total number of seats in the Assembly of each state and the division of each state and union territories into territorial constituencies for the purpose of elections to the Lower House and Assemblies.</p><p>The Commission shall associate with itself for the purpose of assisting it in its duties in respect of each state, ten persons, five of whom shall be Lok Sabha MPs representing that state and five shall be members of the Assembly of that state. If the number of MPs in a state is five or less, then, all MPs shall be the associate members for that state. </p><p>According to the State of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the existing allocation of seats of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies is based on the population figures published as per 1971 census and division of territorial constituencies is based on the population figures published as per 2001 census. </p><p>"The growth of population thereafter, across different constituencies in various parts of the country as well as within the same state along with migration of people from one place to other, especially from rural areas to urban areas, have resulted in varying density of population in electoral constituencies," it said. </p>
