Women's Representation in Phase-4 of Lok Sabha Elections
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and The National Election Watch released a report highlighting the low representation of women in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. In Phase-4, only 10% of the 1,717 candidates are women, a concerning trend that has persisted throughout the elections.
The report also analyzed the educational qualifications and criminal backgrounds of the candidates. 38% of the candidates have educational qualifications between 5th and 12th standard, while 55% hold a graduate degree or higher. 21% of the candidates have criminal cases against them, with 16% facing serious charges.
Age Demographics and Phase-4 Constituencies
The data shows that 38% of the candidates fall within the 25-40 age group, while 49% are between 41 and 60 years old. The remaining 13% are above 60 years old.
Phase-4 encompasses 96 constituencies across 10 states and Union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Telangana has the highest number of candidates with 525 contenders vying for 17 seats. Andhra Pradesh follows with 454 candidates contesting across 25 constituencies, while Maharashtra has 298 candidates for 11 seats. In Jammu & Kashmir, 24 candidates compete for a single seat. The counting of votes will take place on June 4th.