- Government plans to revive Delimitation Bill, ‘One Nation, One Election’.
- Centre seeks support from regional parties for constitutional reforms.
- Past bills failed; government now builds wider political support.
The central government is preparing to revive the Delimitation Bill and may introduce it alongside the proposed “One Nation, One Election” framework, according to sources.
The move is being viewed as a major constitutional initiative, with the government now focusing on building broader political consensus before bringing the proposal to Parliament.
Centre Reaches Out To Regional Parties
Sources said the government has initiated discussions with several regional parties, including the DMK and the TMC, in an effort to secure support for the proposal.
According to reports, if the government is able to secure the required two-thirds majority in Parliament, it may introduce a combined bill covering both delimitation and simultaneous elections.
Some leaders within the TMC are learnt to have expressed positive views on the initiative and are willing to engage in discussions on delimitation.
The DMK, which had earlier strongly opposed the issue, is also said to be adopting a relatively softer position this time and is awaiting a revised proposal.
Push For Wider Consensus
The government’s outreach is being seen as part of a larger effort to build consensus before formally introducing the legislation in Parliament.
Previous proposals linked to delimitation and women’s reservation had failed to secure sufficient support in the Lok Sabha.
Out of 529 members, 298 had supported the proposal, while 230 opposed it. Since such constitutional measures require a two-thirds majority, at least 352 votes are needed for passage.
Sources said the government is therefore actively working to consolidate support before moving ahead again.
Women’s Reservation Bill Setback Changed Strategy
Following the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, the Centre revised its legislative approach.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to defer the introduction of two other key bills — the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The government had convened a three-day special session from April 16 to 18 primarily to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.
However, the bill could not be passed due to insufficient support.
In the aftermath, the government decided to temporarily hold back other politically sensitive bills while attempting to build wider agreement for future introduction.
