GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6th June. The recently concluded Lok Sabha elections saw a total of 74 women emerging victorious, marking a slight dip from the 78 elected in 2019. Among these women MPs, West Bengal led the tally with 11 female representatives.
A total of 797 women candidates contested the elections, with the BJP fielding the highest number at 69, followed by the Congress at 41. Notably, this election marked the first since the passage of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament, which aims to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, although the law is yet to be implemented.
According to an analysis by think-tank PRS, 16 percent of the newly elected women MPs are below the age of 40. Furthermore, 41 percent of them (30 MPs) have prior experience as members of the Lok Sabha, while one MP has served in the Rajya Sabha.
Despite progress, India still lags behind several countries in terms of female representation in Parliament, with only over 13.62 percent of the 18th Lok Sabha comprised of female members. The 17th Lok Sabha held the record for the highest number of women parliamentarians at 78, constituting over 14 percent of the total strength.
Prominent figures like BJP’s Hema Malini, TMC’s Mahua Moitra, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and SP’s Dimple Yadav retained their seats in the Lok Sabha polls. However, newcomers like Kangana Ranaut and Misha Bharati also made headlines with their victories.
Noteworthy among the newly elected MPs are Samajwadi Party’s 25-year-old candidate Priya Saroj and 29-year-old Iqra Choudhary of Kairana seat, highlighting the emergence of young voices in politics.
Several parties showcased significant female representation, with the Naam Tamilar Katchi achieving equal gender distribution among its candidates. Others, like the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Nationalist Congress Party, also demonstrated substantial female participation.
Despite these strides, challenges remain, as demonstrated by the defeat of all three transgender candidates who contested independently. However, historical data reveals a gradual increase in female representation, with 24 women MPs each in the first and second Lok Sabha.
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