India's Lok Sabha set to expand to 850 seats under Delimitation Bill

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has introduced the Delimitation Bill 2026 along with a Constitution (131st Amendment) that would raise the number of Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to as many as 850. The proposal seeks to align parliamentary representation with population changes after a five‑decade freeze on seat allocation, aiming for "one person, one vote" equity across constituencies.

Supporters argue the increase will restore electoral equality and improve federal balance, while critics warn that a larger house could dilute individual members' influence, shrink debate space, and entrench majoritarian tendencies, potentially weakening the quality of representative democracy.