Government Mulls 33% Seat Reservation For Women In Lok Sabha Elections 2029: Report
The proposal is linked with the delimitation exercise, which is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is planning to introduce reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies ahead of the general elections 2029. This move will be initiated through the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill.
Under this, the government will move to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. The proposal is linked with the delimitation exercise, which is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies.
According to a report by the Indian Express, this will be the next step in the process following the government's announcement to conduct the Census next year. According to government sources cited by the newspaper, the reservation of seats for women will be implemented only after a delimitation exercise is carried out using data from the first Census conducted following the enactment of the law.
“The Census has been announced and the other steps will follow. The Women’s Reservation Bill is linked to the delimitation process. We are aiming to roll it out in the next election,” sources said.
In September 2023, the Parliament passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023. This bill, also called Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will focus on significantly increasing women’s representation in the lawmaking process.
Earlier this month, the government announced that the first phase of the Census, which will also include details about caste, will begin in October 2026. The second phase will start in March 2027.
To implement the bill aimed at increasing women’s representation ahead of the next general elections, the government must ensure that the delimitation process is completed beforehand. This will allow the Election Commission of India to conduct the 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the newly delimited constituencies.
For this, it is important to complete the Census process on time as the demographic data plays a key role in readjusting the seats of Lok Sabha and state Assemblies and redrawing their territorial boundaries.
