Not BJP, this party fielded the maximum number of candidates in the Lok Sabha elections, know how many candidates tried their luck

New Delhi: More than eight thousand candidates have tried their luck in the election for the eighteenth Lok Sabha, out of which 16 percent are from national parties, six percent are from state level parties and 47 percent are independent candidates. This information has been given in the report of ‘PRS Legislative Research’ (PRS). According to PRS, 8360 candidates from 744 parties including six recognized national parties are in the fray for 543 Lok Sabha seats in this election. According to the report, this is the highest number of candidates since 1996. In the Lok Sabha elections held in the year 1996, 13,952 candidates were in the fray. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 8039 candidates tried their luck.

BSP fielded the maximum number of candidates

Voting for the 18th Lok Sabha was held in seven phases, which began on April 19 and concluded on June 1. Counting of votes will take place on June 4. According to reports, out of the six nationally recognized parties, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded the highest number of 488 candidates. Among the national parties, BJP has fielded 441 candidates, Congress 328, Communist Party of India (Marxist) 52, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 22 and National People’s Party (NPP) three candidates.

BJP is second in terms of fielding candidates

Among the state level parties, Samajwadi Party has fielded the maximum number of 71 candidates, while Trinamool Congress has fielded its candidates on 48 seats. AIADMK has fielded 36 candidates, CPI 30, YSR Congress Party 25, RJD 25, DMK 22 candidates. According to the PRS report, among the unrecognized parties, Socialist Unity Center of India (Communist) has fielded the maximum number of 150 candidates. It is followed by People’s Party of India (Democratic), which has fielded 79 candidates.

According to the report, an average of 15 candidates are trying their luck on each seat. However, the number of candidates seat-wise is different in each state. Telangana has the highest average number of candidates on each seat. An average of 31 candidates are trying their luck on each seat here, while in Ladakh and Nagaland, three candidates are in the fray seat-wise. The Karur seat in Tamil Nadu has the highest number of 54 candidates in the fray, out of which 46 (85 percent) candidates are independent.

The average age of the candidates contesting this election is 48 years. 13 percent of the candidates of national parties are under 40 years of age, while 20 percent of the candidates fielded by BSP are under 40 years of age. 27 percent of the candidates fielded by major parties have been MPs in the past. Of these, 25 percent have been Lok Sabha members, 4 percent have been Rajya Sabha members, while 2 percent have been represented in both the houses of Parliament.

327 members of the current Lok Sabha are trying their luck again, one of them is contesting from two seats. Meanwhile, 34 members of the 17th Lok Sabha are trying their luck again, but from a different seat. The fate of 53 ministers is also at stake in this election, out of which three are members of the Rajya Sabha, while five have completed their term in the Rajya Sabha in April 2024.