The Lok Sabha, or the “House of the People,” serves as lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament. As primary legislative body where members are directly elected by citizens, its composition is a vital aspect of Indian democracy.
Current Strength and Composition
As of February 2026, Lok Sabha consists of 543 elected members. These members represent territorial constituencies across states and union territories (UTs) of India.
The distribution of these seats is as follows:
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Representatives of States: 524 members
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Representatives of Union Territories: 19 members
Historically, house had a strength of 545, which included two members nominated by President from Anglo-Indian community. However, this provision was abolished by 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019, which came into effect in January 2020.
Constitutional Limits
While current functional strength is 543, the Constitution of India (specifically Article 81) sets a maximum permitted strength:
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Maximum Strength: 550 members (previously 552 before abolition of the Anglo-Indian seats).
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State Representation: Up to 530 members.
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UT Representation: Up to 20 members.
Seat Reservation
To ensure fair representation for marginalized communities, seats are reserved based on population ratios:
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Scheduled Castes (SC): 84 seats
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Scheduled Tribes (ST): 47 seats
Future Expansion
You may find it interesting to note that 2026 is a significant year for Lok Sabha’s structure. Since 1976, number of seats has been frozen to encourage states to implement population control measures without losing political representation.
However, a delimitation exercise is expected to occur after 2026 based on new census data. New Parliament House, inaugurated recently, has already been designed to accommodate this growth, with a seating capacity of 888 members in Lok Sabha chamber.
Summary
| Category | Current Strength (2026) | Constitutional Maximum |
| Total Members | 543 | 550 |
| State Seats | 524 | 530 |
| UT Seats | 19 | 20 |
| Nominated Seats | 0 | 0 |