Govt Tables Key Bills to Fast-Track 33% Women’s Reservation in Lok Sabha, Assemblies

The extended Budget Session commenced with a three day special sitting on Thursday with the government tabling three key bills in the Lok Sabha aimed at facilitating the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.

The Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were introduced as part of this effort.

The Centre stated that these measures are intended to expedite the rollout of the women’s reservation framework.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged opposition parties not to oppose the initiative under the pretext of concerns over delimitation.

Addressing reporters, he said, "I have one appeal to make to the opposition parties. Please don't spread rumours on delimitation."

Calling the development historic, Rijiju said, "I am very happy that today is a historic day. This bill is a historic piece of legislation that will forever be remembered as the Parliament of India has taken this historic decision to provide 33 % reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and in the assemblies of different states.”

“I am very confident that all the parties are going to support and to ensure that the long-pending women's reservation doesn't get defeated," he added.

What do the draft bills on women’s reservation and delimitation propose?

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Centre circulated draft bills among Members of Parliament related to the implementation of the women’s reservation law, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, along with proposals for a fresh delimitation exercise.

The draft proposals envisage increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to up to 850 seats from the current 543 following delimitation based on the last published census.

The proposals also include expanding State Assemblies to accommodate the reservation for women.

The INDIA bloc parties have decided to oppose the delimitation provisions included in the Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced the decision after a meeting of the alliance on Tuesday, while clarifying that the Opposition is not against reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

The implementation of the Constitutional Amendment bill is tied to a population based revision of constituencies using the 2011 census.

The proposed delimitation exercise seeks a broader political overhaul by altering the size and composition of the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies.

(With inputs from ANI)