13.6% of Congress' Lok Sabha candidates are women

As many as forty-three of Congress' 316 Lok Sabha candidates announced so far, are women. The figure translates to 13.6 per cent of the candidates the party has announced so far. The party is yet to announce more candidates.

This is a marginal increase from the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when among the 464 seats it contested from, the Congress had fielded 60 women. This was 12.9 per cent of the total candidates. In comparison, the BJP which contested from 427 seats fielded 38 women, which was 8.9 per cent of the total candidates fielded.

The Congress' pary's percentage is pale in comparison to the Trinamool Congress that recently announced that 41 per cent of its candidates are women. Also, the Biju Janata Dal has promised to field 33 per cent women candidates.

While the Congress has promised to bring in 33 per cent reservation in the Lok Sabha by passing the Women's Reservation Bill, with party president Rahul Gandhi making the announcement several times, the party's manifesto promises to pass the Bill in both Houses of the Parliament, and also promises to make a separate ministry for women by bifurcating the Women and Child Development ministry.

A senior leader of the Congress, who did not wish to be named, said that it is easier for a regional party to field more women. "In national parties, the equations are more tricky," said the leader.

As part of a Call-Your-MP campaign launched by a Bengaluru-based collective Political Shakti, 113 MPs across 23 parties and 21 states pledged their support to the Women's Reservation Bill.