Among the 80 candidates vying for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, only seven or 8.75 per cent are women, as per official data.
This figure is lower than that of the first phase of the 2019 general elections, where 12 out of 91 contenders, or 13.18 per cent, were women. However, none of those female candidates emerged victorious.
Out of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, eight—Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur, and Pilibhit—will go to polls in the first phase on April 19.
Kairana, Moradabad, and Saharanpur have two female candidates each, while Muzaffarnagar has one. According to the Election Commission website, Bijnor, Pilibhit, Rampur, and Nagina do not feature any female contenders.
In Kairana, the Samajwadi Party has nominated Iqra Choudhary, while Priti Kashyap represents the Rashtriya Mazdoor Ekta Party. Ruchi Vira is the Samajwadi Party's nominee, and Sadhna Singh is an Independent candidate in Moradabad.
In Saharanpur, Tasmeem Bano and Shabnam are contesting as Independents, while Kavita, the sole female candidate in Muzaffarnagar, represents the Rashtrawadi Janlok Party (Satya).
During the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, when voting was held in these eight seats, Pilibhit, Kairana, and Rampur each had three female candidates, Saharanpur had two, and Nagina had one. Bijnor, Moradabad, and Muzaffarnagar did not field any female candidates.
March 30 marked the last date of nomination withdrawal for the first phase of the 2024 general elections. Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa stated that 155 candidates had filed nominations, and during their scrutiny on March 28, nomination papers of 71 were rejected.
Four candidates -- two from Saharanpur and one each from Kairana and Moradabad -- withdrew their nominations.
"In the eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the first phase, 80 candidates are in the fray. There are 73 male candidates and seven female candidates. The list format 7A of all candidates has been prepared, and election symbols have also been allotted to all candidates. Voting for the constituencies of the first phase will be held on April 19," Rinwa added.
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