Sun Feb 09 03:09:28 UTC 2025: ## Delhi Election 2025: Record Female Voter Turnout Yields Lowest Number of Women MLAs in a Decade

**New Delhi, [Date of Publication]** – Despite a record-high turnout of women voters in the Delhi Assembly elections, the number of women elected to the 70-member assembly reached its lowest point in the last 10 years. Only five women won seats, a stark contrast to the nearly 100 women who contested the elections.

This year’s election saw a 60.9% turnout among women voters, exceeding the male turnout of 60.2%. However, this significant female participation did not translate into a proportional increase in female representation in the assembly. The five victorious women candidates comprise just 7% of the total seats. Four of the winning women are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while one, Atishi, represents the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Atishi’s win is noteworthy as she retained her Kalkaji seat, a victory in contrast to the losses suffered by other senior AAP leaders.

The BJP’s winning women candidates are Neelam Pahelwan (Najafgarh), Rekha Gupta (Shalimar Bagh), Poonam Sharma (Wazirpur), and Shikha Roy (Greater Kailash). Each secured significant victory margins over their respective AAP opponents.

The low number of female MLAs represents a decline from previous elections. While the three major parties – BJP, AAP, and Congress – fielded more women candidates than in 2020, the overall outcome reflects a persistent challenge in achieving gender parity in Delhi’s political landscape. The highest number of women MLAs was recorded in 1998, when nine women secured seats. Since 1993, only 44 women have been elected to the Delhi Assembly. The article also highlights that Delhi has only had three women Chief Ministers: Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, and now Atishi.

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