The results of the election to the 18th Lok Sabha were declared on 4th June, 2024. Results have been declared for all 543 constituencies. This note looks at the profile of the newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
BJP is the largest party with 240 seats, followed by the INC with 99
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the largest party in the 18th Lok Sabha with 240 seats. The next largest party is the Indian National Congress (INC) with 99 seats, followed by the Samajwadi Party (37 seats).
Candidates from 41 parties have been elected. In 2019, 36 parties were represented in Lok Sabha. National parties have won 346 seats (64%). Parties recognised as state parties in at least one state have won 179 seats (33%). 11 seats have been won by unrecognised parties, and seven by independents.
52% of newly-elected MPs are first-timers in Lok Sabha
262 MPs elected to the 18thLok Sabha have previously served as members of Lok Sabha. Of the others, 16 have been members of Rajya Sabha. One MP has served seven terms in Lok Sabha.
216 sitting MPs were re-elected. Of these, eight changed their constituency. One MP was re-elected from two constituencies, including the earlier one.
Nine re-elected MPs represented a different party in the 17th Lok Sabha. Eight others represented a party which split from their earlier party.
Out of the 53 ministers who contested, 35 have won.
Parliament is getting older
The average age of MPs elected to the 18thLok Sabha is 56 years; this was 59 years in the 17th Lok Sabha.
11% of MPs are 40 years or younger, and 38% are between 41 and 55 years of age. 52% of MPs are older than 55 years. The oldest MP is 82 years old. Three MPs elected to the 18thLok Sabha are 25 years old.
14% of MPs are women, no significant change from 2019
74 MPs (14%) elected to the 18th Lok Sabha are women. This is marginally lower than in 2019, when 78 women were elected. 16% of these women MPs are below the age of 40.
41% of women MPs (30 MPs) have previously been members of Lok Sabha. Of the others, one MP has been a member of Rajya Sabha.
While there has been a slow increase in the number of women in Lok Sabha over the years, India still lags behind several countries. For example, 46% of MPs in South Africa, 35% in the UK, and 29% in the USA are women.
78% of newly elected MPs have completed undergraduate education
78% of MPs of the 18th Lok Sabha have completed at least undergraduate education. This proportion is the same for newly-elected women MPs.
The proportion of MPs who have completed undergraduate education increased steadily from the 1st Lok Sabha till the 11th (1996-98). Since then, the proportion of MPs who have not attended college has increased. However, this figure has decreased from 27% in the 17th Lok Sabha to 22% in the 18th Lok Sabha.
5% of MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha have a doctoral degree, including three women MPs.
Many MPs declared agriculture and social work as their profession
Agriculture and social work are the most common professions among MPs elected to the 18th Lok Sabha.
91% of MPs from Chhattisgarh, 72% in Madhya Pradesh, and 65% from Gujarat have indicated agriculture as one of their professions.
7% of MPs elected to the 18thLok Sabha are lawyers, and 4% are medical practitioners.
Note: BJP-Bharatiya Janata Party, INC-Indian National Congress, SP-Samajwadi Party, TMC-All India Trinamool Congress, DMK-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, TDP-Telugu Desam Party, JD(U)-Janata Dal (United), SS (UBT)-Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray), NCP-SP (Nationalist Congress PartySharatchandra Pawar), SS-Shiv Sena, LJPRV-Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), IND-Independents.
Sources: ECI; ‘Sixty Years of Lok Sabha: A Study’, Lok Sabha Secretariat; Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha websites; Inter-Parliamentary Union Parline database, data as on April 1, 2024; PRS.
Note: See party names in end note. SS(UBT) was part of SS (18 seats in 2019), NCP-SP was part of NCP (five seats), and LJPRV was part of Lok Janshakti Party (six seats). This chart only includes parties which won at least five seats, and independents.