The Central government is set to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, during a three-day special session of Parliament. The bill proposes to expand the Lok Sabha from 550 to 850 seats, but has met resistance from a unified Opposition.
The government has linked the expansion to implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (33% women’s reservation), but the Opposition calls it a “political stunt” to push through a controversial delimitation exercise.
In the Lok Sabha, the current effective strength stands at around 540 members. The bill would need the support of at least 360 members to pass, but the ruling NDA currently has about 293 MPs, leaving it short by roughly 67 votes.
The Opposition bloc has around 234 MPs, enough to prevent the government from reaching the required two-thirds majority. Even a smaller grouping within the Opposition could stall the bill.
The government has defended the bill, maintaining that it is a historic step towards women’s empowerment. Union minister Kiren Rijiju said there was wide agreement in principle on women’s reservation and seemed confident that the required support would be secured.
