Lok Sabha Polls: Women Made Up Only 8% Of Phase 1 & 2 Candidates

Despite the growing demand for equitable representation in the Indian poliitcs, the first two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections saw a stark gender imbalance. In the first phase on April 19 and the second phase on April 26, only 235 candidates were women out of a total of 2,823 contestants. In the first phase, Tamil Nadu led the count with 76 women candidates, while women in Kerala led the second phase with 24 candidates. While all eyes were on the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill, promising 33% of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats for women, political analysts and activists have pointed out the inefficiency of parties in fielding more women.

The five-State Assembly elections in 2023 put a spotlight on women through targeted campaigns and schemes; but when it came to candidacy, this enthusiasm was dimmed. The results of the State elections, however, highlight how parties could benefit by putting women at the forefront in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Women-Centric Campaigns In State Elections

National parties BJP and Congress took notice of the increase in the number of women voters in the Assembly elections and systemised an array of promises and schemes pivoting on women's empowerment. The parties put a focus on grassroots-level campaigning, providing necessities to less-privileged households with women. 

These included promises for subsidised cooking gas and ration, annual allowance for girl children, monthly aid for households led by women, pensions for women senior citizens, reservations for women in government jobs, smartphones for women, gold from brides, and more. The parties also held all-women rallies and campaigns.

Meagre Women's Candidacy

While many States boast a higher female voter count than males, the number of female candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections remains bleak. For example, in Tamil Nadu, there are 3.1 crore female voters and 3 crore males. However, six out of the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies have only male contestants.

Only one party, the NTK, has given equal representation to women candidates with 50% of the tickets for the 2024 general elections. The party had fielded women for 50% of the seats even in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2021 State Assembly polls. Significantly, the NTK women garnered the majority of the votes as compared to their male counterparts.

In the recent 2023 assembly elections in five States (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram), women candidates of the BJP and Congress contested for less than 12% of seats, as reported by Hindustan Times. This came merely two months after the Parliament passed the Women’s Reservation Bill.

While the BJP has been widely praised for the 128th amendment of the Constitution, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023, the party had only 11.7% of women candidates contesting in the elections. The Congress claims credit for the women’s reservation bill, having introduced it in 2010 during Manmohan Singh’s rule; but they too had only 10.8% of women candidates.

2023 State Assembly Polls: How Women Fared In Five States

Out of the total of 679 seats, women candidates were contesting 80 seats from the BJP, and 74 seats from the Congress. The BJP won in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh; while the Congress swept to victory in Telangana and Zorem People's Party won over the voters in Mizoram. 

As assembly election results poured in from the five States, an unmissable trend was noticed where most women candidates emerged successful in their respective constituencies. The results reflect how the proportion of women contestants who won have had a higher vote share than many male candidates, despite low representation by political parties. 

Rajasthan

Women constituted 2.51 crore eligible voters this year. Out of the 200 seats, the BJP fielded 20 women candidates, and the Congress fielded 28 women candidates. However, the results displayed the voters' inclination toward women candidates.

Diya Kumari of Vidhaydhar Nagar constituency won the seat of the second Deputy Chief Minister. Kumari won over 1 lakh votes just like former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who won from Jhalrapatan. Nine out of the 115 winning candidates in Rajasthan are women. Meanwhile, in the Congress, nine out of the 69 winners are women; and two independent candidates, Dr Ritu Baanawat and Dr Ritu Chowdhary have also emerged victorious.

Mizoram

Three women were elected to be MLAs; the first time more than one woman candidate has been elected in the State. Lalrinpuii and Baryl Vanneihsangi were elected from the winning ZPM and Pravo Chakma was elected from the outgoing Mizo National Front. The last woman leader to be elected was Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu, who was elected in a 2014 by-election. Chawngthu was inducted as a junior minister in the former Congress government in 2017.

The State had two women contestants from the Congress and four from the BJP. The state recorded that female eligible voters (4,39,028) outnumbered males (4,13,064) this year. 81.21% of women cast their vote, as compared to 75.79% of men.

Madhya Pradesh

In the 230-seat assembly, the BJP fielded 28 women in the State and the Congress had 30 women contestants. The results showed that 21 out of the 163 BJP winning candidates are women, including Gayatri Raje Pawar of the Dewas seat, and Archana Didi of the Burhanpur constituency. Similarly, in the Congress, there are five women among 65 other winners.

Chhatisgarh

In Chhattisgarh's 90-seat assembly, 14 women were contesting from the BJP and three were from Congress. The State boasts the highest number of women MLAs in the country, with nine out of the 54 winning BJP candidates being women this year.

Laxmi Rajwade won from Bhatgaon with over 1 lakh votes, while Lata Usendi won from Kondagaon with over 80,000 votes. A total of 11 women candidates from Congress have won and account for almost one-third of its 35 winning candidates.

Telangana

For the 119-member assembly of Telangana, the BJP had fielded 14 women candidates and the Congress had fielded 11. The results in this State are lacklustre for women candidates, compared to the others.

Out of the 64 winning candidates of Congress, only four out of 11 women candidates have been elected-- Laxmi Kantha Rao Thota, Yashaswini Mamidala, Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Matta Ragamayee. Among 39 winning candidates of the BRS, only three are women.