Centre's Delimitation Bill 2026 Has Provisions For Pak-Occupied-Kashmir. What Does It Say?

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 10:16 IST

The Centre introduced three key bills on Thursday in the Lok Sabha, setting the stage for the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The Centre introduced three key bills on Thursday in the Lok Sabha, setting the stage for the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, or the Women’s Reservation Act, which was cleared by the Parliament in 2023.

What emerged as the centre of a political stir is the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which proposes readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha and state and Union Territory legislative assemblies, and the division of each state and Union Territory into territorial constituencies.

Delimitation Bill 2026 LIVE Updates

Do you know that the Delimitation Bill 2026 has provisions for Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) too? Let’s dive deeper.

Provisions For PoK

The Delimitation Bill — tabled by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in Lok Sabha on Thursday — outlines a legal framework for conducting constituency delimitation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir once the region comes back to Indian control.

The move is being seen as a strong reaffirmation of India’s long-standing constitutional claim over the territory.

The proposed bill allows the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct delimitation for regions currently captured by Pakistan once the situation changes.

At present, 24 seats under the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly remain vacant, with no elections held there. They represent the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under the Pakistani occupation.

India’s claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir stems from the Instrument of Accession signed in 1947 by Maharaja Hari Singh — the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir — which made the entire region part of India.

India has echoed its position through various legal and political measures every now and then. In 1994, the Parliament passed an unanimous resolution, calling for Pakistan to vacate the region.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly asserted claim over Pak-occupied-Kashmir, calling it an integral part of the country.

‘PoK Belongs To India’

Ahead of the voting in Lok Sabha on the three bills, BJP leader Boora Narsaiah emphasised PoK “legally, constitutionally, and morally belongs to India".

Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “The most important part we are missing is the provision in the delimitation bill, which is the allocation of the seats in the PoK. It is the dream of every Indian irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to take back PoK, which legally, constitutionally, and morally belongs to India… That is the beauty of this bill."

Voting on the three bills — Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill — will be held at 4 P.M. today.

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