What Is The Seating Capacity Of New Parliament Building?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the newly-constructed building of Parliament to the nation on May 28.

The event is set to take place amid nineteen opposition parties, including the Congress, Left and TMC, on Wednesday collectively announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building. They want President Draupadi Murmu to inaugurate the event instead of the Prime Minister.

"Prime Minister Modi's decision to inaugurate the new Parliament building by himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response," the opposition parties said in a statement.

Amid the controversy, it remains an important event in the history of Indian politics. As the countdown has started for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, let's check an important information about the seating capacity.

The existing building, which was constructed in 1927, was not designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy. So, the seating arrangement is packed and inconvenient, as there are no desks available beyond the second row.

The current Lok Sabha and Central Hall have reached their maximum capacity and cannot accommodate any more individuals. The Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 552 persons, while the Central Hall can seat a maximum of 436 persons.

This limited space for movement has become a huge security risk.

With Lok Sabha seats likely to increase after 2026, the need for increasing the seating capacity arose.

The new Lok Sabha Hall will have a capacity of up to 888 seats, while the Rajya Sabha Hall will be able to accommodate up to 384 people. Further, it may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions.