Lok Sabha Rejects Constitution Amendment Bill to Expand Strength to 850 Seats

The Lok Sabha rejected the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposed increasing the House’s strength to 850 seats, as it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.

While 298 members supported the Bill, 230 opposed it, leading to its defeat.

The amendment aimed to enable delimitation based on the 2011 Census and implement women’s reservation without waiting for the next census.

Following the failure, the Centre withdrew the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and related legislation. Opposition parties had raised concerns over potential imbalance in state representation and timing of the proposed delimitation exercise.