A set of key constitutional proposals linked to the proposed delimitation exercise was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026, after the government failed to secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority, with the division of votes emerging as the central turning point in the legislative process.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Amendment Bill, 2026, closely tied to the Delimitation Bill and aimed at enabling the implementation of women’s reservation, was put to vote after an intense debate spanning two days. According to official voting figures, 278 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the measure, while 211 opposed it, out of a total of 489 members who participated, leaving the government well short of the required threshold of around two-thirds of the House.
During the debate, the delimitation component became a focal point of contention across party lines. The government maintained that delimitation would “lead to the rationalisation of voters in every constituency,” while also arguing that opposition to the exercise effectively meant resistance to increasing representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Opposition leaders, however, repeatedly questioned the linkage between women’s reservation and delimitation. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that the legislative package was “an attempt to change the electoral map of India,” adding that the move could alter political representation across regions.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the approach, describing the linkage as a “gift wrapped in barbed wire” and warning that tying implementation to delimitation could delay the actual rollout of women’s reservation.
Earlier, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also registered strong opposition to the delimitation proposal, staging protests and voicing concerns that a population-based redrawing of constituencies could adversely affect representation for southern states. Party leaders reiterated that delimitation, if conducted solely on population figures, could reduce the political weight of states that have achieved population control, and called for a more balanced approach.
Following the result, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju described the defeat as “unfortunate,” while indicating that the associated bills, including delimitation, would not move forward in the absence of the constitutional amendment.
With the amendment failing to secure sufficient support in the Lok Sabha, the proposed delimitation exercise, central to the restructuring of parliamentary constituencies and linked reforms, now remains on hold.
