India's government has introduced constitutional amendments to expand the Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament) by nearly 40 per cent — from 543 to over 800 seats — while fast-tracking a 2023 law reserving one-third of parliamentary seats for women, who currently hold just 14 per cent of seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi framed the move as a historic step for women's empowerment, but opposition parties argue the real motive is political gain, warning that redrawn boundaries based on population would disproportionately benefit Modi's BJP, which draws heavily from India's densely populated north. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the proposal an act of "gerrymandering," while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged resistance, accusing the BJP of seeking to marginalise southern states that have lower populations and are largely governed by rival parties.