Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Only Over 30 Female Politicians Elected Out Of 797. We Can’t Ignore The Gender Imbalance!
In the latest Lok Sabha Elections, out of 797 female candidates, only over 30 were elected. The elected female candidates were 79 in the 2019 elections. This vast drop in women representation is quite concerning!
The Lok Sabha Election results were quite unpredictable this time with BJP winning only 240 seats this compared to the 303 seats in 2019. However, another point to note in this year’s election results is the significant drop in the number of women candidates elected from their respective constituencies. Compared to the last elections when 90 female leaders secured seats, this year only 39 women candidates have won seats from their constituencies. It’s disappointing to see the vast difference between male and female representation in politics.
In the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, around 78 women were elected, but shockingly, this number dropped to over 30 women. While some female leaders in power of position for a long time lost their seats this time, some won it again, and some new joiners came out victorious. BJP’s new candidate Kangana Ranaut won her first election from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh against Congress’s Vikramaditya Singh. However, the bigger shocker was the fact the BJP minister Smriti Irani lost from Amethi. TMC leader Mahua Moitra stood strong in the Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal against BJP’s Amrita Rao. From Mathura, actor turned politician Hema Malini secured a victory again. This year, out of 797, only over 30 female candidates won the seats.
While the voters gave a chance to young female politicians like Samajwadi Party’s Priya Saroj (25) and Iqra Choudhary (29), the overall number of women elected this time was surprisingly meagre. Female representation in politics has always been low, with just a handful of female ministers holding positions of power, however, it’s even more frustrating to see that when the numbers should see a high, it’s significantly deteriorating. If women will not be represented effectively in politics, how will women’s issues be effectively resolved? Who will become the voice of common women in the country and speak up for them in Lok Sabha? Why is female representation in the Indian political system still a big issue that we conveniently choose to ignore? It’s still an area where equal opportunities for women lack big time and the election results are proof. But what are we doing to solve it?
First Published: June 05, 2024 12:47 PM
