Delimitation and the seat freeze

Delimitation fixes how many Lok Sabha and assembly seats each state gets and draws constituency boundaries, in line with population. Each state’s share of seats has been frozen on the 1971 census since 1976, and in 2001 the freeze was extended “until the publication of the first census after 2026”, PRS Legislative Research notes. The next census, with a reference date of 1 March 2027 for most of India, is the one that would end the freeze.

Where things stand

In April 2026 the government tried to change the rules. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill would have raised the Lok Sabha cap from 550 to 850 seats, let Parliament choose the census for delimitation by law, and allowed women’s reservation to start right after a fresh delimitation. On 17 April it won 298 votes to 230, short of the two-thirds needed, and the government withdrew the companion bills. Opposition parties argued that using the 2011 census would cut the share of southern and north-eastern states. The Tribune reported in September that a reworked bill was being considered; none had been reported as introduced by 11 October.

PRS Legislative Research flagged other effects of the defeated plan. A larger Lok Sabha would change its ratio to the Rajya Sabha from about 2.2:1 to 3.3:1, which matters in joint sittings and presidential elections. It would raise the cap on the Union Council of Ministers, which is tied to 15% of the Lok Sabha’s size, from about 81 to 122. And it would leave the timing of delimitation to an ordinary law.

Key dates

1. 1976Seat shares frozen on the 1971 census.
2. 2001Freeze extended until the first census after 2026.
3. 2008Last delimitation orders finalised.
4. 16 Apr 2026131st Amendment and Delimitation bills introduced.
5. 17 Apr 2026Amendment defeated, 298 to 230.
6. 1 Mar 2027Census 2027 reference date for most of India.

Key numbers

• 298 to 230Lok Sabha vote on the 131st Amendment; 352 needed
• 850proposed Lok Sabha cap, up from 550
• 39 to 32Tamil Nadu's seats on a 2011-census split at current size (illustration)
• 80 to 89Uttar Pradesh's seats on the same illustration

Key questions

Why are seats frozen? PRS notes the freeze was meant to support population stabilisation, so states that slowed growth would not lose seats.

Why did the bill fail? It needed two-thirds of members present and voting and got 298 of 528.

Does this delay women’s reservation? Yes. The 2023 law reserving one-third of seats for women takes effect only after the next delimitation. PRS says that is unlikely before the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

What happens next? Unless the Constitution is amended, seats will be readjusted on the first census published after 2026. Read our full explainer.