Historic Move: Women's Reservation Bill Aims for 816 Lok Sabha Seats

The Indian government is working to gain support from opposition parties for the Women's Reservation Bill, aiming to use 2011 census data for delimitation and increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816. Home Minister Amit Shah is holding talks to secure the required two-thirds majority for this transformative legislation.

The Central government is pushing forward with efforts to secure backing from opposition parties for the Women's Reservation Bill, officially titled the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The proposed legislation seeks to decouple women's quotas from the delimitation process, directly affecting how parliamentary seats are allocated. Home Minister Amit Shah has initiated dialogues with leaders from significant opposition groups, including BJD, YSRCP, and Sharad Pawar's NCP, among others, to build much-needed consensus.

Passed by the Parliament in 2023, the bill aims to amend the Delimitation Act which currently bases boundary delineations on the 2011 census. This legislative change is critical, as securing a two-thirds majority in Parliament necessitates opposition support. Additionally, Shah has conducted meetings with NDA's parliamentary floor leaders to align strategy, gathering prominent figures like LJP's Sambhavi Choudhary and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju to discuss the path forward.

The government plans to introduce two pivotal amendments. The first ties women's reservation to the 2011 census, given delays in newer census data. The second targets delimitation and seat redistribution, potentially increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to an unprecedented 816. A dedicated bill for these amendments will hit Parliament's floor, with no current provisions for OBC reservations as the SC/ST reservation continues. If successful, this would mark India's biggest democratic reform since independence, setting the stage for 273 women MPs by 2029 and shifting the majority requirement in a newly expanded Lok Sabha.