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VIDEO EXPLAINER | 4 NOVEMBER 2026
A Bill to raise the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats failed on 17 April. The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, introduced a day earlier, received only 298 votes when 352 votes were needed for it to pass. The Bill therefore fell, and it never reached the Rajya Sabha.
What the Bill proposed
The Bill would have raised the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha from 550 to 850: up to 815 members from the States and up to 35 from the Union Territories. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that 272 of the 815 seats would be reserved for women. The Bill would also have delinked women’s reservation from waiting for the next census.
The debate
Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi argued that the women’s quota should apply to the existing 543 seats, and should not be tied to delimitation. PRS Legislative Research estimated seats on the 2011 census with the current House size: Tamil Nadu would fall from 39 to 32, Kerala from 20 to 15, and Uttar Pradesh would rise from 80 to 89. This is an estimate by PRS, not a figure in the Bill.
Why the Bill failed: Article 368
Article 368, clause (2) sets two conditions for amending the Constitution in this way: (1) a majority of the total membership of the House, and (2) a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. Both must be met in each House separately, because there is no joint sitting for a constitution amendment Bill. The 298 votes were more than half of the House’s total membership, so the first condition was met. The Bill failed only on the two-thirds condition.
PRS recorded the Bill’s status as Negatived. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju withdrew the two linked Bills. According to reports, no new Bill had come by 29 October 2026.
Background: Article 81 and the freeze
Under Article 81, the Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 550 members: 530 from the States and 20 from the Union Territories. The 42nd Amendment froze seats on the 1971 census, and the 84th Amendment extended the freeze until the first census after 2026.
Constitutional / Legal / Institutional framework
- Article 368(2): majority of total membership AND two-thirds of members present and voting, in each House.
- Article 81: Lok Sabha maximum 550 (530 States, 20 Union Territories).
- 42nd Amendment: freeze on 1971 census; 84th Amendment: freeze extended to first census after 2026.
CLAT angle
- Legal Reasoning: apply the two Article 368(2) conditions to vote numbers and say which one fails.
- GK: 550 to 850, 815 + 35, 272 women’s seats, 298 votes versus 352 needed.
- GK: Article 81 composition (530 + 20) and the 42nd and 84th Amendments.
- No joint sitting for a constitution amendment Bill; both Houses must pass it separately.
- Passage-based: delimitation, population-based representation and women’s reservation.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bill | 131st Constitution Amendment Bill |
| Vote date | 17 April |
| Votes received | 298 |
| Votes needed | 352 |
| Proposed Lok Sabha strength | 850 (up to 815 States + up to 35 UTs) |
| Women’s seats | 272 of 815, per Law Minister Meghwal |
| Current maximum (Art. 81) | 550 (530 + 20) |
| PRS status | Negatived; did not reach Rajya Sabha |
| Linked Bills | Withdrawn by Kiren Rijiju |
| Freeze | 42nd Amendment (1971 census); 84th extended it |
Mnemonic / memory hook
Half of ALL, two-thirds of PRESENT.
Article 368(2): a majority of total membership, plus two-thirds of those present and voting. 298 passed the first test, not the second.
FAQ
Why did the 131st Amendment Bill fail? It got 298 votes, while 352 were needed to meet the two-thirds of present and voting members condition.
What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha under Article 81? 550 members: 530 from States and 20 from Union Territories.
Does a constitution amendment Bill have a joint sitting? No; each House must pass it separately.
Sources
PRS Legislative Research Bill status and seat estimates; Lok Sabha proceedings of 17 April; statements by the Law Minister and Congress Deputy Leader; Constitution of India, Articles 81 and 368.
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