A fresh political debate has been triggered after Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP from the Shiv Sena (UBT), laid bare the stark mismatch between promises and actual representation of women in Indian politics.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, passed in September 2023 with much political consensus, was hailed as a historic step toward ensuring 33% reservation for women in legislatures. However, Chaturvedi’s analysis highlights that the intent has yet to translate into action on the ground.
What do the numbers say?
In the Lok Sabha elections, regional parties fielded only 14.4% women candidates, while national parties did even worse at 11.8%. Shockingly, around 150 constituencies—nearly 27.6%—had no women candidates at all. This raises a critical question: if parties truly support women’s representation, why are they not giving tickets?
Data from the Association for Democratic Reforms further strengthens this concern. Out of 4,666 MPs and MLAs across India, only 10% are women. In the current Lok Sabha, women make up just 14%, while in state assemblies the figure drops to 9%.
What about upcoming state elections?
The situation remains largely unchanged. In Kerala, major parties have fielded limited women candidates, with none even approaching the 33% benchmark. A notable exception is the Indian Union Muslim League, which has for the first time allotted two seats to women candidates.
In West Bengal, the All India Trinamool Congress has fielded 52 women candidates out of 291—better than most, yet still below the promised threshold. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have allocated less than 15% of tickets to women.
Why does this matter?
Chaturvedi’s observations highlight a deeper structural issue in Indian politics—candidate selection remains heavily male-dominated. While laws can mandate reservation in the future, the immediate responsibility lies with political parties to reflect that commitment in ticket distribution.
Her remarks have once again put the spotlight on whether “Nari Shakti” is being implemented meaningfully or remains a symbolic political slogan.
As the country heads toward crucial elections, the real test will be whether parties bridge this gap—or continue to fall short of their own promises.
