India revives plan to expand parliament, reserve seats for women as it courts Congress support
?s government has restarted its push for a constitutional amendment that would reserve 33% of seats for women in legislatures and expand the Lok Sabha
India’s government has restarted its push for a constitutional amendment that would reserve 33% of seats for women in legislatures and expand the Lok Sabha after a fresh delimitation exercise, reopening a politically fraught debate just months after a similar bid collapsed in Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi for nearly 50 minutes on Wednesday to discuss a possible reintroduction of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal later joined the talks. Sources said Rijiju left without a commitment.
Fresh outreach, old fault lines
The renewed effort aims to have the women’s reservation law in place before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The bill would trigger a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census and raise the size of the lower house from 543 to 816 seats. It also proposes a larger number of seats in states and Union territories, though the exact final distribution would depend on the redraw.
The move goes beyond one bill. The Centre is also weighing fresh consultations on delimitation as part of a wider political push that includes the government’s One Nation, One Election agenda. The delimitation plan matters because it would reshape representation in Parliament and state legislatures at the same time as the women’s quota is operationalised.
Officials are now expected to sound out other opposition leaders too, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the DMK leadership, to test whether the proposal can attract broader support. BJP sources have already suggested the party is reaching out to regional players as it looks for a new parliamentary alignment.
Bill returns after April setback
The government’s previous attempt failed four months ago when the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill fell short of the two-thirds majority needed in the Lok Sabha. The Centre is now trying again, with the Home Ministry reported to be preparing a fresh delimitation bill.
At the same time, the BJP has been speaking to the DMK with “proposed changes” to the simultaneous elections legislation, according to reports. Congress has maintained that the government should follow due process and consult all parties before taking any step.
The timing is notable. The push comes after the April-May assembly polls altered political momentum in some key states, and the government appears to be betting that the parliamentary arithmetic could look different by the time the next round of legislation comes up. For now, the key question is simple: can the Centre win over enough opposition support before sending the bills back to Parliament?
