Jammu: J&K’s politics is set for overhaul as Centre mulls boosting Lok Sabha, Assembly seats for women’s reservation before 2029 polls.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is considering a major increase in the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across states and Union Territories.
The union government is reportedly planning to increase Lok Sabha constituencies from 543 to 816, with 273 reserved for women. State assemblies would also see a corresponding expansion.
If approved, the proposal could significantly reshape the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir in 2029.
Officials say that they are exploring a plan to raise the strength of legislatures by up to 50 percent. In Jammu and Kashmir, this would increase Assembly seats from 90 to 135. Lok Sabha representation could rise from five to seven or eight seats.
Under the proposal, 33 percent of seats would be reserved for women. This would translate into about 45 reserved seats in the J&K Assembly. In the Lok Sabha, two seats could be reserved if the total rises to seven, or three seats if it reaches eight.
It is learnt that the Centre has begun to build consensus across the political spectrum for making legal changes to ensure political reservation for women becomes applicable before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
At least two bills, one on delimitation and another for an amendment in the Constitution, which needs two-thirds support in both Houses, will be brought.
The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, also called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The law is not to be applied immediately; it will come into effect after the census conducted post the law’s commencement is published, and the seats will then be decided through delimitation. The reserved seats will be rotated after each delimitation, and the quota is set to remain in force for 15 years, unless Parliament changes it later.
The National Conference, however, said it has not been approached. Party Rajya Sabha MP Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan said no consultation has taken place with them. He said the issue was discussed at a meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc. Leaders at the meeting called for an all-party discussion.
“They want the Centre to convene a meeting and clarify the details of the proposed law,” Ramzan said. If the proposal is cleared through legislation, it could also apply to the 2029 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The current Assembly term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2029.
Following the passage of the law, the Centre is expected to set up a delimitation commission to redraw constituency boundaries. As per the proposal under discussion, the 2011 Census could be used as the basis for this exercise. At present, the legal framework states that women’s reservation will take effect only after the 2027 Census and a fresh delimitation based on updated population data.
