The Delhi assembly elections marked a deeper political shift—one where women's voter turnout was higher compared to that of men, yet their representation in the legislature was disappointingly low. Out of 70 constituencies, only five women candidates were elected, a decline from last year's number, which was eight.
Delhi has given the BJP a resounding victory, ending the 10-year-long rule of AAP. Now while the BJP gets ready to form its government in Delhi after 27 long years of exile, let us take a look at how women candidates have performed.
As per the data released by the Election Commission of India, five women candidates have emerged victorious, out of which four belong to the saffron party and one from the AAP.
Even after AAP's miserable performance, AAP member and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena defended her Kalakaji seat, defeating BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri by 3,500 votes.
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From the BJP, Rekha Gupta won from the Shalimar Bagh constituency, defeating Bandana Kumari of the AAP by almost 30,000 votes. In Wazirpur, BJP’s Poonam Sharma won by a margin of more than 54,000 votes, beating AAP’s Rajesh Gupta.
Shikha Roy, BJP’s other winning candidate from the Greater Kailash region with a margin of 3,188 defeated Saurabh Bhardwaj of the AAP. In Najafgarh, Neelam Pahalwan won by almost 29,000 votes from AAP’s Tarun Kumar Yadav.
In the 2020 polls, eight women were elected to the assembly, including Atishi, Rakhi Birla from the Mangol Puri (SC), Preeti Toma from Tri Nagar constituency and Dhanwati Chandela from Rajouri Garden.
Throughout the campaign, women were central to political promises and manifestos. Parties pitched women-centric policies, from financial help to free ration kits and gas cylinders as well as free bus rides and improved safety measures. However, major political parties fielded a very small number of women candidates and their success rate is even disappointing.
