The government's plan to increase Lok Sabha seats by 50% and implement 33% reservation for women failed in Parliament, with the Opposition opposing the move.
A counter-offer made by the DMK proposes to implement the 33% reservation from the next election on the existing 543-seat Lok Sabha without any seat-increase or delimitation.
The 33% reservation for women is already law, but it cannot be implemented yet due to a condition that requires a fresh census and delimitation exercise before it can come into force.
The government has not argued that implementing reservation on 543 seats is constitutionally impossible, but the Opposition has offered to help pass the old bill for implementation from the current Lok Sabha.
Running beneath the debate is a constitutional gap that no government has yet addressed - the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have no political reservation in Parliament or state assemblies.
