Drop in women’s representation in Delhi Assembly 2025: PRS report
The share of women in the assembly has decreased over the years, reaching a peak of nine in 1998 and dropping to three in multiple elections following that
New Delhi: Fewer women were elected to the 8th Delhi legislative assembly, with only five securing seats, down from eight in 2020, according to a report by PRS Legislative Research.
The results of the 70-member assembly election were declared on Saturday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a majority with 48 seats, a sharp rise from eight in 2020, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 22 seats, down from 62.
The share of women in the assembly has decreased over the years, reaching a peak of nine in 1998 and dropping to three in multiple elections following that. In 2025, only five women have been elected, reversing the increase seen in 2020.
Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, Neelam Pahalwan, and Shikha Roy from the BJP, along with the outgoing Delhi chief minister Atishi from AAP, are the five women elected to the 8th Delhi Legislative Assembly.
The profile of members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) has also seen a change in terms of profession and education. 61% of MLAs have a background in politics or social work, a decrease from 67% in 2020. The proportion of MLAs from a business background has surged from 29% in 2020 to 49% in 2025.
Additionally, education levels among legislators have seen changes too. The proportion of MLAs who have completed graduation increased from 34% in 2020 to 38% in 2025, while the share of those with an education up to higher secondary declined from 40% to 36%.
The age distribution of the Assembly has also undergone notable changes. The share of young MLAs aged 25-40 has fallen from 23% in 2020 to 13% in 2025. The 41-55 age group continues to dominate, making up 49% of the legislators.
Meanwhile, the proportion of MLAs aged 56-70 has increased from 27% to 34%, and those above 70 now account for 4%, up from 1% in 2020. As a result, the average age of MLAs in the 8th Delhi Assembly now stands at 52 years.
