Delhi's Third-Gender Candidates Make Their Mark In Lok Sabha Elections 2024

In New Delhi, two third-gender candidates who contested the Lok Sabha elections from two constituencies in Delhi expressed their satisfaction on Wednesday, despite collectively garnering less than a thousand votes.

Rajan Singh, identifying as a transwoman, made history as the national capital's first transgender candidate. Contesting from the South Delhi constituency, she received 325 votes, as per the Election Commission data. Pooja, a resident of Narela, was in the fray from North-West Delhi and secured 509 votes.

Photo Credit: PTI

Delhi's Third-Gender Candidates In Lok Sabha Election

"The Lok Sabha election was experienced by me for the first time, and support from my area residents was received," Pooja stated. "Enough votes were obtained to motivate me to continue my fight here," she added. "We will be elected in the near future, if not as an MP then as an MLA," she declared in Hindi.

Singh also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to voice their rights. "From the beginning, it was known to me that victory would not be achieved. Rather than feeling sad about receiving 325 votes, happiness is felt that for the first time, the third gender has participated in the Lok Sabha elections from the capital. Nomination was filed, participation was ensured, and our issues were raised. This is how any journey begins, and it's just the beginning," she said.

In total, Singh and Pooja received 834 votes in the elections. "The result was known beforehand, yet participation in the fight was desired," they mentioned. Emphasizing the importance of participation, Singh said preparations for future elections will continue, and active involvement in the political arena is intended indefinitely.

Singh's campaign slogan, "Sauchalay se, Sansad tak" (From the toilet to Parliament), resonates with the community's aspirations for greater representation and visibility. When asked about future plans, she mentioned the immediate need to find a job. "A job will be searched for, and work will resume soon to support myself, as my job had to be left due to the election," Singh said.

Singh contested against candidates such as the BJP's Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and the Aam Aadmi Party's Sahi Ram. The number of third-gender voters in Delhi nearly doubled from 669 in 2019 to 1,228 in 2024, according to the Election Commission data. The South Delhi constituency, now holding the highest number of third-gender voters at 336, showed a significant increase in support for third-gender candidates, up from 130 in 2019.

Pooja, who performs religious rituals by profession, recounted an attack the day after polling. "No support was received from the police. If protection is not provided to a candidate, then imagine the situation for a normal transgender person. Society's acceptance is claimed, but it remains just on paper. Shame is inflicted upon us, as if being a third-gender person is a crime. Politics was joined with the aim of doing something for our community," she explained.

In the North-West Delhi seat, the BJP's debutant Yogendra Chandoliya trounced the Congress' Udit Raj by 2.9 lakh votes, recording the highest margin of victory among all winning candidates in the national capital. The total number of electors in the capital was 15,201,936, comprising 8,212,794 male voters, 6,987,914 female voters, and 1,228 third-gender voters.

The BJP, having won all seven seats in Delhi in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, completed its third consecutive sweep in the national capital.