New Delhi, April 16 (NationPress) Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced on Thursday that the number of Lok Sabha seats across all states will witness an increase of 50 percent as part of the initiative to enforce the women's reservation and the associated delimitation process.

Should the Bill be approved, the representation in Uttar Pradesh would rise to 120 seats, Tamil Nadu to 59, Bengal to 63, Kerala to 30, and Gujarat to 39.

During the Lok Sabha discussion on the Bills concerning women's reservation and delimitation, Meghwal stated, "The Women's Reservation Bill was passed in 2023, which stipulates the implementation of its provisions based on the census following 2026 and subsequent delimitation. The strength of Lok Sabha members will see a 50 percent increase, resulting in 815 seats, with 272 reserved for women, equating to one-third of the total House membership. There will be no detriment to male MPs or any state, ensuring their representation remains unchanged."

He introduced the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and also submitted the Delimitation Bill, 2026.

Additionally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The Women's Reservation Bill sets a cap of 815 members to be elected directly from state constituencies. For the Union Territories, it stipulates, "Not more than 35 members shall represent the Union Territories, elected in a manner prescribed by law from Parliament."

Currently, the Lok Sabha consists of 530 members from states and 20 from UTs. However, a delimitation commission had previously established the number at 543.

In a subsequent Lok Sabha discussion on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the Women's Reservation Bill would transform the "disha and dasha" (direction and condition) of politics in the country by incorporating half of the population in decision-making roles.

PM Modi emphasized the need for an apolitical and collaborative strategy, expressing his commitment to use terms like "guarantee" and "promise" to reassure MPs that the proposed delimitation linked to the women’s quota will not disadvantage any state.

He advocated for a "nation-first" perspective, asserting, "I want to convey that whether it is South or North, small or large states, the delimitation process will ensure fairness. I can confidently use the words 'guarantee' or 'promise' to alleviate the concerns of members," he concluded.