The government is working to introduce a bill delinking reservation of seats for women in legislatures from the census and the so-called delimitation process, with an amendment to the effect likely to be introduced, perhaps as early as this weekend, people familiar with the matter said.. The move could see the number of seats in the Lok Sabha increase to 816, one of the people cited above added on condition of anonymity (ANI). The move could see the number of seats in the Lok Sabha increase to 816, one of the people cited above added on condition of anonymity. Of this, 273 will be reserved for women, and the proportional representation of each state will remain the same.. Since several Opposition parties had suggested immediate implementation of the law, at the time of its passing in 2023, it is likely that the government’s proposed amendment will find broad-based support.. The 816 number is close to the 814.5 one that can be arrived at by increasing the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, currently at 543, by a third.. Proportional representation means, for instance, that Uttar Pradesh, with 80 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha (14.73%), will have 120 seats in the new Lok Sabha; and Tamil Nadu, with 39 seats (7.18%), will have 59.. A leader of an NDA ally said the government had informed them that a delimitation commission will be set up by June to carry out the process of redrawing constituencies before the implementation of the reservation in 2029 in the Lok Sabha.. The delimitation exercise was due in 2026 and was to be done on the basis of the 2021 census (which was never done). It was widely expected that the exercise, which ensures the number of representatives sent to the Lok Sabha by a province, roughly reflects its population, would be carried out after the 2027 census. The southern states were up in arms against the plan because it would effectively penalise them for successfully controlling their population — the national imperative through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s — and reward outliers such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.. To be sure, it isn’t clear how the government plans to address the imbalance if its plan on the women’s quota goes through — for it would mean that a vote in Tamil Nadu, or Kerala, for that matter, would carry more weightage than a vote in Uttar Pradesh.. The government has begun reaching out to opposition parties to build consensus on the amendment which is expected to be introduced before the session winds up on April 2, the people cited in the first instance said. The decision to have the session continue through the coming weekend, citing pending business, they added, may have been prompted by this.. Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday met floor leaders of other parties and all NDA partners to discuss the issue, HT learns.. According to a second person, the minister met leaders of the BJD, YSRCP, NCP (SCP) , Shiv Sena (UT), and AIMIM to discuss the provisions of the amendment.. ALSO READ | Govt considerin
