Women’s quota bill defeated in Parliament: What next

Now that the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill, 2026, to operationalise 33 per cent women’s reservation and raise Lok Sabha numbers to 859 has been defeated, here is what will happen next.

The delimitation process will still take place once the constitutionally mandated freeze on the exercise lifts this year.

The Constitution 84th Amendment Act, 2001, had frozen the delimitation to 2026 which is the reason the government-led Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, mentioned that one-third seats for women would be reserved once delimitation following the 2026 census exercise takes place.

On Thursday, the government notified this Adhiniyam also known as the Constitution 106th Amendment Act, 2023.

With the government move to advance women’s reservation by delimiting Lok Sabha constituencies based on the 2011 census with 50 per cent rise in the Lok Sabha seats for each state having been defeated, the delimitation will next happen based on the population data of the 2026 census.

This, sources say, could disadvantage the opposition in real terms as population of southern states would have reduced further from 2011.

Government sources also privately said that the assurance on including the proposal of 50% rise in Lok Sabha seats for each state was fair with many BJP leaders also explaining in their speeches why this was the best possible deal for the southern states which could lose Lok Sabha seats based on population-based delimitation.