The Union government introduced a Bill to provide one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the historic first legislation in the new Parliament House on Tuesday, but the fine print ensures that the quota will not be implemented in next year’s general election.
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The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth) Amendment Bill, 2023 can be implemented only after a delimitation exercise is completed, using data from the latest census conducted after the passage of the Bill. The next delimitation exercise, or redrawing of constituency boundaries, is scheduled to be held in 2026. Effectively, this means that the earliest implementation of the women’s quota in the Lok Sabha can be in the 2029 general election, rather than in next year’s polls.
