Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: Increasing Influence of Women Voters, Yet Limited Political Representation in the National Capital

The atmosphere for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections is heating up, with all political parties vigorously campaigning to woo women voters. The role of women is considered very important in this election to be held on February 5. Although there has been a steady increase in the participation of women in voting, the picture has still not changed in terms of their electoral victory and representation in the Assembly. In the political history of Delhi, the number of women MLAs has never reached double digits, which points to gender inequality in politics.

Increasing Participation of Women Voters

According to the report in the 3 elections held between 1998 and 2008, the number of women voters was 56 percent or less. However, in the 2013, 2015 and 2020 elections, women participated in the voting in large numbers and now this figure has crossed 60 percent. This means that out of every 100 women, 60 are exercising their votes.

Only 39 Women Elected Since 1993

A total of 699 candidates are in the fray for 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections, but only 96 (14 percent) of them are women. Although this number is low, it is the highest percentage of women's participation in the last four decades. Historically, women have been underrepresented in Delhi elections.

In the 7 assembly elections held in Delhi since 1993, only 39 women have won. In the 1998 elections, the highest number of 9 women became MLAs. Not once has the number of women MLAs touched the double digits.

Since 1993, 491 women have contested the assembly elections, but about 80 percent of them lost their deposits. In 2008 and 2013, 3 women each won.

In the 2020 assembly elections, 24 women were in the fray, out of which 8 won. All of them were AAP candidates.

How Many Women Are Contesting This Time?

This time, out of a total of 96 women candidates for the Delhi Assembly Election, 25 are from three major political parties e.g. AAP, BJP and Congress. Where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP filed 9 candidates each and Congress filed 7 candidates.

Strategies to Attract Women Voters

There are 71 lakh women voters in Delhi. Considering its importance, AAP, BJP and Congress have announced to give a fixed amount to women every month.

In some recent assembly elections, schemes related to women have played an important role in the victory of the party. This is the reason why there has been a flurry of announcements for the women of Delhi. Before the 2020 elections, AAP started free bus travel for women.

Election 2025

Voting will be held on February 5 in a single phase on all 70 assembly seats of Delhi and counting of votes will be done on February 8. There is a triangular contest between AAP, BJP and Congress here.

According to the Election Commission, there are a total of 1,55,24,858 voters in Delhi, of which 83,49,645 are men, while 71,73,952 are women. AAP has registered a big victory here in the last 2 elections. In 2020, not a single MLA of Congress won.

As the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections are approaching, the focus is on the increasing effectiveness of women voters, whose participation is increasing with every election. However, their lack of adequate representation in the Assembly despite their significant presence at the polling booth highlights gender inequality in politics. Major political parties are trying to gain their support through women-related schemes and welfare schemes, but the real challenge is to convert this support into political power. It remains to be seen whether this election will prove to be a milestone for the political representation of women in Delhi or if the situation will remain the same.