Women account for 10% of phase-4 candidates, highest proportion so far

Candidates with criminal cases also on the rise, accounting for 23% of total in the fray

Women accounted for a tenth of the candidates fielded for the fourth phase of elections. The Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases. The fourth phase is on Monday, April 29. This is the highest proportion of women candidates fielded so far this election.

Earlier phases had seen women candidates accounting for between 7-9 per cent of the total candidates in the fray. The data is based on a report by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms released on Wednesday.

Candidates with criminal cases also saw their numbers rise. They account for 23 per cent