Women Power: 78 women MPs in new Lok Sabha


Team Udayavani, May 24, 2019, 5:40 PM IST

New Delhi: The highest-ever number of women have been elected in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Out of 542 MPs who will take oath as members of the lower house in the next few days, 78 are women with Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal leading at 11 each.

A total of 724 women candidates contested from across the country with Congress fielding the maximum women at 54 followed closely by BJP at 53.

With over 14 per cent female MPs, the 17th Lok Sabha will have the highest number of women candidates since 1952. In 16th Lok Sabha, 64 women had won, while 52 women were elected to the 15th Lok Sabha.

A Bill for 33 per cent representation for women in legislatures is pending in Parliament.

As many as 27 out of 41 sitting women MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, Hema Malini and Kirron Kher, retained their seats in Lok Sabha polls, but the likes of Smriti Irani and Pragya Thakur stole the show with their victories over their more renowned rivals.

Irani emerged as a giant-slayer this time scripting a historic win by dethroning Rahul Gandhi in the Congress’s home turf Amethi. Controversial BJP candidate from Bhopal and terror-accused Thakur won against former chief minister Digvijay Singh.

Other prominent names to enter Parliament are DMK candidate from Thoothukkudi Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and BJP’s Rita Bahuguna, who won from Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad constituency.

Locket Chatterjee, Bengali actress-turned-politician from the Trinamool Congress, won in Hoogly constituency.

Among the other parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded 24 women candidates, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) 23, the CPI(M) 10, the CPI four, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) fielded one woman candidate.

As many as 222 women contested the polls independently.

Four transgender candidates contested the elections independently, while the AAP was the only party to field a transgender nominee. But all transgender candidates lost in the polls.

The highest number of women candidates were fielded from Uttar Pradesh at 104, followed by Maharashtra. Sixty-four women candidates have been fielded from Tamil Nadu, 55 from Bihar and 54 from West Bengal.

 

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

BCCI vs PCB spar on CT venue as Naqvi denies receiving any official note from Indian board

After Yogi’s ‘batenge, katenge’ slogan, PM pitches for unity with ‘Ek hai, toh safe hai’ message

“Coming soon.. 2025”: KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty announce first pregnancy

Mangaluru: Unauthorized bus stops at signals fuel traffic woes and safety concerns

SC notice to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on CBI plea against withdrawal of consent by state govt

Will remain active in politics till my last breath: JD(S) patriarch & ex-PM Deve Gowda

BJP calls Congress govt ‘laughing stock’ as ‘samosa politics’ heats up in Himachal

Related Articles More

UP women’s body proposes men shouldn’t tailor women’s clothes or cut their hair

After Yogi’s ‘batenge, katenge’ slogan, PM pitches for unity with ‘Ek hai, toh safe hai’ message

Bank fraud: ED seizes jewellery, cash worth over Rs 1 cr in raids against Bhopal-based company, directors

No greater feeling than serving those in need: Outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud

CJI Chandrachud: A legacy of landmark verdicts that shaped society and some controversy too

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

BCCI vs PCB spar on CT venue as Naqvi denies receiving any official note from Indian board

Use Carnatic music to promote Kannada language: Nirmala Sitharaman

Udupi: Car collides with bike; Rider injured

UP women’s body proposes men shouldn’t tailor women’s clothes or cut their hair

NSE, BSE to be closed on Nov 20 for Maharashtra assembly polls

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.