Incoming Lok Sabha will have fewer women MPs

New Delhi: Fewer women will be seen at the Lok Sabha this term as only 74 women have been elected this time, down from 79 women MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha. However, of the 75 women MPs this term, a large chunk — 43 MPs — are first time MPs. 

Most of the women MPs elected are from the Bharatiya Janata Party in terms of absolute numbers, but in percentage of their total strength, the Trinamool Congress leads the way. With 31 MPs, BJP has the highest number of women Parliamentarians, followed by Congress with 13 MPs, TMC with 11 MPs, Samajwadi Party with 5 MPs and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with 3 MPs. 

When compared to their internal gender ratio, TMC leads with 37.93 per cent followed by Congress with 13.13 per cent and BJP with 12.92 per cent.

Women will make up for 13.63 per cent of the total strength of the lower house, a decrease from the 14.5 per cent last term – which has been the highest representation in all these years. This is lesser than the 33 per cent outlayed in the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam, which is set to come into effect after the next delimitation exercise. 

In the 17th Lok Sabha, the BJP had 36 MPs, and 10 of its women held ministerial positions. 

While key faces from the last Lok Sabha including like union ministers Smriti Irani, Saroj Pandey, Meenakshi Lekhi and party veteran Maneka Gandhi won’t be seen this term – with the three except Lekhi losing the elections – several newer faces will be seen. Among them are RJD’s Misa Bharti, BJP’s Kangana Ranaut and Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and TMC’s Sayoni Ghosh and June Maliah. 

Apart from that, SP’s Dimple Yadav, TMC’s Mahua Moitra, DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, Congress’ Kumari Selja, and BJP’s Hema Malini are among the big names. 

Several young faces will also be part of this Lok Sabha. This includes SP’s Iqra Chaudhry and Priya Saroj, Congress’s Sanjana Jatav and LJP’s Shambhavi Choudhary.

Across all the parties, a total of 797 women contested the 2024 Lok Sabha. 

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