Delimitation Bill Defeat: Why India's 850-Seat Lok Sabha Stalled

On April 17, 2026, something happened in India's Lok Sabha that almost never happens: a constitutional amendment moved by the Union government was put to a vote and lost.

What the 131st Amendment Actually Proposed

Introduced on April 16 and voted down barely a day later, the bill was sweeping in ambition.

Crucially, the amendment proposed to base this redrawing on the 2011 Census rather than waiting for the digital Census 2027, whose reference date falls on March 1, 2027.

A constitutional amendment is not an ordinary bill.