Govt Pushes Delimitation Bill Before 2029 Poll Plan

The central government has circulated The Delimitation Bill, 2026 among Members of Parliament ahead of a special sitting this week, proposing to replace the Delimitation Act, 2002 and enable fresh redrawing of constituencies based on the latest census figures. The bill empowers the Centre to set up a Delimitation Commission to readjust the allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, and to redraw territorial constituencies accordingly.The draft legislation has been shared along with The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in a move aimed at implementing the women’s reservation law before the 2029 general elections.Several provisions

in the new bill are similar to the 2002 law, which will be repealed.

According to the draft, “The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification, constitute a Commission to be called the Delimitation Commission.”“The Commission shall comprise of the following members, namely: one member, who shall be a person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court, to be appointed by the Central Government, as the Chairperson of the Commission; the Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by the Chief Election Commissioner, ex officio’ and the State Election Commissioner of the State concerned, ex officio.”The Centre will also decide the tenure of the commission and may extend it if required.The bill states that the commission will be responsible for readjusting seat allocation for the Lok Sabha and assemblies of states and Union Territories, and for dividing them into constituencies based on the latest census.“The Commission shall, in the manner herein provided, distribute the seats in the House of the People allocated to each state and Union territory and the seats assigned to the Legislative Assembly of each state to single-member territorial constituencies and delimit them on the basis of the latest census figures, having regard to the provisions of the Constitution,” the draft says.

For each state, the commission will be assisted by 10 associate members — five Lok Sabha MPs and five MLAs — nominated by the respective Speakers, with adjustments if the number of MPs is fewer than five.The commission can also seek assistance from officials such as the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner, the Surveyor General of India, government officers, and GIS experts.The draft emphasises that constituencies should, as far as possible, be geographically compact and consider physical features, administrative boundaries, communication facilities and public convenience. It also mandates that each Assembly constituency must fall within a single Parliamentary constituency.The commission will publish its proposals in the Gazette of India and state gazettes, invite objections and suggestions, and hold public sittings before finalising the delimitation.“The Commission shall’ (a) publish its proposals for the delimitation of constituencies, together with the dissenting proposals, if any, of any associate member who desires publication thereof, in the Gazette of India and in the Official Gazettes of all the states concerned and also in such other manner as it thinks fit; specify a date on or after which the proposals shall be further considered by it; “Consider all objections and suggestions which may have been received by it before the date so specified, and for the purpose of such consideration, hold one or more public sittings at such place or places in each state as it thinks fit; and thereafter by one or more orders determine the delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies; and the delimitation of Assembly constituencies, of each state,” it says.The bill adds that its provisions will override any conflicting laws regarding the powers and functions of the commission.The Delimitation Act, 2002 will be repealed once the new law comes into force.