NEW DELHI — India’s Parliament has begun debating a landmark proposal to reserve one-third of legislative seats for women, a move that could significantly reshape political representation in the world’s largest democracy while also triggering contentious redrawing of electoral boundaries.

If approved, the bill would accelerate the implementation of a 2023 law mandating 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The measure is being described as one of the most significant changes in India’s political structure since independence, with the potential to substantially increase female participation in national lawmaking.

However, the proposal is linked to a separate and controversial delimitation exercise that would redraw parliamentary constituencies based on population data. This process could expand the lower house from 543 to about 850 seats, raising concerns among opposition parties about its political impact.

While there is broad support across party lines for increasing women’s representation, opposition leaders warn that the accompanying redistricting plan could shift the balance of power in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

The bills are being considered during a three-day special parliamentary session and require a two-thirds majority in both houses to pass. Modi’s ruling National Democratic Alliance currently holds 293 seats, while 360 votes are needed for approval.

India already requires that one-third of seats in local government bodies be reserved for women, yet women hold only about 14% of seats in the lower house of Parliament. Supporters of the proposal say the quota could bring hundreds more women into national politics and shift policy priorities toward issues such as health, education, and gender-based violence.

Women’s rights advocates have welcomed the measure. Ranjana Kumari, a prominent activist, said it would help make India’s democracy more representative and encourage political parties to nominate more female candidates.

For younger women, the proposal carries symbolic significance. Pranita Gupta, a 23-year-old law graduate, said it could help normalize women’s participation in politics rather than treating it as an exception.

The redistricting plan, however, has sparked deeper regional tensions. Critics argue that using population-based delimitation could increase representation for faster-growing northern states while reducing the relative influence of southern states, where population growth has slowed and economies are more developed.

India’s constitution requires parliamentary seats to be allocated based on population and revised after each census, but the process has been frozen since the 1971 census due to concerns over demographic imbalance.

Leaders from southern states fear the changes could weaken their political influence. Some opposition figures also claim the exercise could benefit Modi’s party, which has stronger support in northern regions.

The government has rejected accusations of bias. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament that the legislation is not discriminatory and would not disadvantage any region. The ruling party has also argued that any seat increase would be applied uniformly across states, although the draft legislation does not explicitly state this.

Tensions surfaced outside Parliament, where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin publicly protested by burning a copy of the bill and urging others in the state to do the same. Several southern lawmakers also wore black in protest.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of potentially manipulating constituency boundaries ahead of the 2029 elections and called for a transparent and consensus-based delimitation process.

As debate continues, the legislation remains one of the most closely watched political reforms in India, with implications for gender representation and the country’s regional power balance.