Women Reservation from 2029: Decision Likely Within 72 Hours
The government has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 to implement the Women Reservation Act from the 2029 general elections.
According to sources, 815 seats are proposed for states and 35 seats for Union Territories.
Out of the total 850 seats, 273 seats will be reserved for women. Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats.
The government is planning to introduce a Constitution Amendment Bill in a special session of Parliament scheduled for April 16, 17, and 18, to implement 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha starting from 2029.
On April 14, the government shared draft versions of the following bills with all Members of Parliament:
- Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill
- Delimitation Amendment Bill
- Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the debate on April 17. These proposed changes are planned to be implemented before the 2029 general elections.
However, opposition to the proposal has already begun. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has written a letter to the Prime Minister stating that southern states do not agree with increasing the number of seats.