A new analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) has once again highlighted the persistent gender imbalance in India’s electoral politics. According to the report, women continue to remain significantly underrepresented both as candidates and as elected representatives in the country’s parliamentary and state assembly elections. The study examined data from the most recent elections for the Lok Sabha and State/Union Territory Legislative Assemblies across India.
The report analysed 51,708 candidates who contested in the current Lok Sabha and Assembly elections nationwide. Out of this total, only 5,095 candidates—around 10%—were women. The study also reviewed the composition of elected representatives, including 543 Members of Parliament and 4,123 Members of Legislative Assemblies, making a total of 4,666 lawmakers. Among them, only 464, or about 10%, are women, underlining the limited presence of women in India’s legislative bodies.
The findings come in the context of the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty‑Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 19, 2023. The bill seeks to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, a long-debated reform aimed at improving women’s political representation. The ADR–NEW report evaluates current participation levels to understand the extent of the gender gap in Indian politics.
Women Candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
The report found that women constituted less than ten percent of candidates in the 2024 Indian general election. Out of 8,360 candidates analysed, only 800 (9.6%) were women. Alarmingly, 152 out of 543 constituencies (28%) had no women candidates at all, indicating that many electoral contests remain entirely male-dominated.
Certain constituencies, however, saw relatively higher participation by women. Baramati in Maharashtra, Secunderabad and Warangal in Telangana recorded the highest number of women candidates with eight each, followed by Karur in Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Dakshin in West Bengal with seven women candidates each.
Among major political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded the highest proportion of women candidates at 16%, followed by the Indian National Congress (INC) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) at 13% each, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded 8% women candidates. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not field any women candidates among its 22 nominees, while the National People’s Party nominated two women out of three candidates.
Women Candidates in State and UT Assembly Elections
The gender gap was equally evident in state politics. Out of 43,348 candidates analysed in the elections for State and Union Territory Assemblies, only 4,295 (10%) were women. Additionally, 1,698 out of 4,123 constituencies (41%) had no women candidates at all, showing that the absence of women in electoral contests remains widespread at the state level.
The report notes that no state recorded more than 15% women candidates in its assembly elections. Among the states with relatively higher participation were Delhi, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura. In terms of constituencies, Guntur West in Andhra Pradesh had the highest number of women candidates with 12, followed by Limbayat in Gujarat and Nampally in Telangana, each with eight women candidates.
Among assemblies, Odisha and Delhi each recorded 14% women candidates, followed by Chhattisgarh with 13%. At the other end of the spectrum, Nagaland (2%), Arunachal Pradesh (5%), and Jammu and Kashmir (5%) had the lowest share of women candidates.
Party-Wise Participation of Women
When examined by party category, unrecognised political parties nominated the highest number of women candidates, fielding 1,502 women out of 13,413 candidates. National parties nominated 1,337 women out of 12,119 candidates, while state parties fielded 592 women among 5,926 candidates. Among independent candidates, 1,664 women contested out of a total of 20,250 independents.
Women MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha
The report also assessed the composition of the 18th Lok Sabha. Out of 543 Members of Parliament, 74 (14%) are women, which is slightly higher than the overall proportion of women candidates but still far from parity.
A total of 22 states and Union Territories have women MPs, while Kerala stands out as the only major state without a single woman MP. West Bengal leads with 11 women MPs, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra with seven each, and Madhya Pradesh with six.
In terms of party representation, the BJP has the highest number of women MPs with 31, followed by the INC with 13 and the All India Trinamool Congress with 11. Notably, no woman candidate from an unrecognised political party or among independents managed to win a Lok Sabha seat.
Interestingly, the report found that a higher proportion of women candidates won elections compared to male candidates. Out of 800 women candidates, 74 (9%) were elected, whereas 469 out of 7,554 male candidates (6%) succeeded. Additionally, six third-gender candidates contested the election but none were elected.
Among women MPs, **Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya of the BJP from Bhavnagar in Gujarat recorded the highest vote share at 69.70%, while **Shobha Karandlaje from Bangalore North in Karnataka secured the highest number of votes, receiving 9,86,049 votes.
Women MLAs Across State Assemblies
At the state level, the situation remains similar. Out of 4,123 MLAs across the country, 390 (9%) are women. Uttar Pradesh leads with 47 women MLAs, followed by West Bengal with 40, Bihar with 29, and Madhya Pradesh with 27.
The BJP again tops the list with 163 women MLAs, followed by the INC with 59 and the AITC with 34.
Unlike the Lok Sabha results, male candidates had a slightly higher success rate in assembly elections. Out of 39,033 male candidates, 3,733 (10%) were elected, while 390 out of 4,295 women candidates (9%) won seats. Additionally, 20 third-gender candidates contested assembly elections but none were elected.
Among women MLAs, **S. S. Olish of the BJP from Chandel in Manipur recorded the highest vote share at 79.06%, while **Manjula S from Mahadevapura (SC) constituency in Karnataka received the highest number of votes at 1,81,731.
Need for Structural Reforms
The ADR–NEW analysis underscores a long-standing concern in Indian politics: women remain vastly underrepresented in both candidacy and legislative representation. While women candidates often demonstrate competitive success rates, political parties continue to nominate them in limited numbers.
Experts say the proposed Women’s Reservation Bill could significantly alter this imbalance if implemented effectively. Until then, the report suggests that political will and internal party reforms will be critical to improving women’s participation in India’s democratic process.