Kumar Bahukhandi
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Special session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)
Key reforms on reservation and seat redraw take centre stage in Parliament’s special session
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha is set to continue discussions and take up voting on key legislative proposals on Friday April 17 , 2026 , including the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
The Constitution Amendment Bill seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies, while the Union Territories Bill proposes extending the provision to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The Delimitation Bill aims to increase and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, raising the total number of seats to 850.
According to the Lok Sabha’s list of business, all three bills will be discussed together. Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to move motions for the passage of the amendments.
On Thursday, the Lok Sabha held a marathon 12-hour debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill amendments, which propose removing the requirement to implement the quota only after a census. The bills were introduced following a vote in which 251 members supported the measures, while 185 opposed them.
The debate saw participation from several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, along with opposition figures such as Akhilesh Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, and KC Venugopal.
The Congress has urged the government to withdraw the bill in its current form and convene an all-party meeting to build consensus. Party leader KC Venugopal argued that the government is attempting to push delimitation through the Women’s Reservation amendment.
Opposition leaders, including Owaisi, have also expressed concerns that the proposed changes could reduce the opposition’s representation in the House.
Leaders from southern states, including DMK and Congress MPs, have raised apprehensions that the delimitation exercise may disproportionately impact southern regions such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Kerala.
Responding to these concerns, Amit Shah assured the House that southern states would see nearly a 50 per cent increase in seats and that their overall share would not decline.
The developments come as Parliament’s special session focuses on major structural reforms with potential long-term implications for political representation in India.
( Source : ANI )
