The bill failed to secure the 2/3rd majority required to pass a constitutional amendment bill.
- Following the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill, the government withdrew the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026.
- The bill was opposed as it will disproportionately reduce the representation of the southern and north-eastern states on the basis of the 2011 Census.
About the 131st Amendment Bill
- Increases the strength of the Lok Sabha: From the existing 543 members to 850 members (815 from states and 35 from UTs).
- Amend Article 334A: Allow implementation of one-third women's reservation in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies immediately after delimitation.
- It was introduced through 106th Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam).
- Amend Article 82: Bill proposes to delete the third provision of Article 82, which mandates that the next delimitation exercise shall be undertaken based on the first Census conducted after the year 2026.
- This will enable delimitation to be carried out using Census data available before the 2026–27 Census.
About Delimitation Bill 2026
- It aimed to repeal and replace the Delimitation Act, 2002.
- Delimitation Commission (DC): Union Government to constitute the DC, which will be chaired by a person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court.
- It specified that the delimitation would be based on the latest published census at the time of the Commission's formation, meaning the 2011 census would be used.
The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extends similar changes to Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
Constitutional Amendment Process (under Article 368)
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