Debate around political empowerment of women apart, parties in India are far from reaching the 33 % threshold of fielding women candidates in elections.An Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis of 39,789 candidates who contested the Lok Sabha 2024 and 20 subsequent state and UT elections held after the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill) 2023 reveals that only 4073 (10.2%) were women.The 2024 General elections, held after the Parliament passed the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023, had 8,360 candidates, of which only 800 (9.6%) were women.Out of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, 152 (28%) constituencies had zero women candidates.Also, after the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, assembly elections were held across 20 States and Union Territories (UTs).Out of a total of 31,429 candidates who contested these elections, only 3,273 (10.2%) were women fielded by political parties, the analysis shows.Odisha (2024) had the highest proportion of women candidates at 13.9%, followed by Delhi (2025) at 13.7% and Puducherry (2026) at 13.6%.Across all State and Union Territory Assembly elections analysed, the proportion of women candidates did not exceed 14%.The 33% benchmark for female representation remains unmet under the current pattern of party ticket distribution.Arunachal Pradesh (2024) and Jammu & Kashmir (2024) recorded the lowest participation of women candidates, with women constituting only 4.9% of the total contesting candidates each.The analysis further says that none of the national parties met the one-third (33%) benchmark for women candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.While BJP and INC fielded women candidates in the range of 13%–16%, several state parties recorded higher levels of female representation.These included Naam Tamilar Katchi (50%), Biju Janata Dal (33%), Rashtriya Janata Dal (29%), and All India Trinamool Congress (25%).In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, only two state parties fielded 33% or more women candidates among their total candidates. These were Naam Tamilar Katchi (50%) and Biju Janata Dal (33%).In 20 state and UT polls held after the Bill’s passage in 2023, Congress fielded 33% women candidates only in the Sikkim Assembly Election.Among state parties, Naam Tamilar Katchi contested the Puducherry and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections and fielded 50% women candidates in both elections.In addition, CPI(ML)(L) fielded 56% women candidates in the West Bengal Assembly Election and 33% in the Assam Assembly Election. Samajwadi Party fielded 40% women candidates in the Rajasthan Assembly Election. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi fielded 50% women candidates in the Puducherry Assembly Election, while the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party allotted 50% of its tickets to women candidates in the Delhi Assembly Election.