Women’s Day Special: Only 10% of candidates, MPs and MLAs in India are women

Women continue to remain underrepresented in Indian politics, with only about 10% of candidates and elected representatives being women across the country, according to a new report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

The report titled “Women’s Political Participation and Representation in India 2026” analysed data from recent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections and highlighted the limited participation of women in electoral politics.

According to the report, out of 51,708 candidates who contested Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across the country, only 5,095 (10%) were women.

Similarly, among 4,666 Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies combined, only 464 (10%) are women, indicating a significant gender gap in political representation.

Lok Sabha, Assembly elections

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 800 out of 8,360 candidates (9.6%) were women, while 152 seats (28%) had no woman candidate at all.

In state assembly elections, the report found that 4,295 out of 43,348 candidates (10%) were women, and 1,698 seats (41%) did not have a single female candidate.

No state or Union Territory recorded more than 15% women candidates in assembly elections. The highest share of women candidates was recorded in Delhi and Odisha (14%), followed by Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh (13%) and Tripura (12%).

Representation in Parliament

In the 18th Lok Sabha, 74 out of 543 MPs (14%) are women.

Among states, West Bengal has the highest number of women MPs (11), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra with seven each, and Madhya Pradesh with six.

Gujarat data

In Gujarat, the report noted that four women MPs currently represent the state in the Lok Sabha, while the Gujarat Legislative Assembly has 14 women MLAs.

Among the constituencies, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya (BJP) from Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seat recorded the highest vote share of 69.70% among women candidates. The Limbayat Assembly constituency in Gujarat saw one of the highest numbers of women candidates, with eight women contesting the seat.

Criminal cases, assets and education

Out of the 476 women MPs and MLAs analysed, 127 (27%) have declared criminal cases, including 68 (14%) with serious criminal cases.

The report also found that 14 women legislators (3%) are billionaires. The average assets of women MPs/MLAs stand at ₹17.30 crore, with total declared assets amounting to ₹8,234 crore.

In terms of education, 333 women legislators (70%) have declared graduate or higher educational qualifications.