Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 12: With the Union Cabinet approving a draft bill to amend the Women’s Reservation Act, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to increase from the existing five to seven or eight.
As per the proposal, 33 per cent of the total seats will be reserved for women. This would translate into two seats if the total rises to seven, and three seats if it goes up to eight.
At present, there are five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, two seats each in the Jammu and Kashmir divisions and one is divided between two regions.
The draft amendment was cleared during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The proposal envisages a significant expansion in the strength of the Lok Sabha—from the current 543 seats to 816—out of which 273 seats will be reserved for women.
The Centre has extended the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament and convened a special session from April 16 to 18, during which the amendment bill is expected to be taken up for passage. Once approved by Parliament, the law is slated to come into effect from March 31, 2029.
The reservation will be implemented for the first time in the 2029 general elections, as well as in select state assembly polls held the same year. The provision will follow a vertical reservation model, ensuring that seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will also have a quota for women within them.
In addition to Parliament, similar reservations will be introduced in state assemblies. The government is also expected to bring a separate bill to amend the Delimitation Act, enabling a fresh allocation of seats based on updated parameters.
Sources indicate that the delimitation exercise may rely on the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the 2027 Census. The proposed changes will apply to all states and Union Territories, including Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry.
According to reports, Uttar Pradesh is likely to witness the highest increase, with its Lok Sabha seats rising from 80 to 120, including 40 seats reserved for women. Maharashtra may see its tally go up from 48 to 72, with 24 seats earmarked for women.
Similarly, Bihar could see its seats increase from 40 to 60, with 20 reserved for women. Madhya Pradesh is expected to have 15 such seats, Tamil Nadu 20, Delhi 4, and Jharkhand around 7 seats reserved for women under the new arrangement. |
