Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch have analysed 39,789 candidates who contested in the Lok Sabha 2024 Elections and State/UT assembly elections held across the country after the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. Among them, only 4073 (10.2%) were women candidates.

Women's Reservation Bill 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha on September 19, 2023. The Bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. In this context, the report takes a look at participation of women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies, with a focus on trends following the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Women Candidates in Lok Sabha Elections 2024:

• Following the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were held. Out of a total of 8,360 candidates analyzed, only 800 (9.6%) were women.
• Out of 543 constituencies, 152 (28%) constituencies had zero women candidates.

Women Candidates in Current Assemblies:

• Following the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, assembly elections were held across 20 States and Union Territories (UTs). Out of a total of 31,429 candidates who contested these elections, only 3,273 (10.2%) were women fielded by political parties.
• States assemblies with highest percentage of women candidates: Odisha (2024) had the highest proportion of women candidates at 13.9%, followed by Delhi (2025) 13.7% and closely followed by Puducherry (2026) 13.6%. Across all State and Union Territory Assembly elections analysed, the proportion of women candidates did not exceed 14%. The 33% benchmark for female representation remains unmet under the current pattern of party ticket distribution.
• States Assemblies with lowest percentages of women candidates: Arunachal Pradesh (2024) and Jammu & Kashmir (2024) recorded the lowest participation of women candidates, with women constituting only 4.9% of the total contesting candidates.

Analysis of Ticket Distribution to Women Candidates by Political Parties - Election Wise

The data provides a clear analytical breakdown of female representation in candidate nominations by major National Parties and State (Regional) Parties across recent Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.

Part I - Lok Sabha Elections 2024: (Focus: Parties with more than 20 contesting candidates)

Key Findings:

• None of the national parties met the one-third (33%) benchmark for women candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
• National Parties vs. Regional Trends: While BJP and INC fielded women candidates in the range of 13%–16%, several state parties recorded substantially higher levels of female representation. These included Naam Tamilar Katchi (50%), Biju Janata Dal (33%), Rashtriya Janata Dal (29%), and All India Trinamool Congress (25%).
• In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, only two state parties fielded 33% or more women candidates among their total candidates. These were Naam Tamilar Katchi (50%) and Biju Janata Dal (33%).

Part II – State and UT Assembly Elections:

Key Findings:

• This analysis covers 20 Assembly Elections held after the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, 2023. Among the national parties, the Indian National Congress fielded 33% women candidates only in the Sikkim Assembly Election.
• Among the state parties, Naam Tamilar Katchi contested the Puducherry and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections and fielded 50% women candidates in both elections. In addition, CPI(ML)(L) fielded 56% women candidates in the West Bengal Assembly Election and 33% in the Assam Assembly Election. Samajwadi Party fielded 40% women candidates in the Rajasthan Assembly Election. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi fielded 50% women candidates in the Puducherry Assembly Election, while the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party allotted 50% of its tickets to women candidates in the Delhi Assembly Election.

English Report