The ongoing Lok Sabha elections continue to have a dismal representation of women, with only 12% of candidates in the fifth phase being female. Out of 695 candidates analyzed in this phase, 82 are women, and 18% (122 candidates) have serious criminal cases pending. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) highlighted this low representation, along with the high prevalence of criminal backgrounds among candidates. The report also found that 33% of candidates are ‘crorepatis’ with assets exceeding ₹1 crore, while 47% have liabilities with high debt burdens. The ADR raised concerns about the educational qualifications of candidates, with 42% having qualifications between 5th and 12th standard and only 50% being graduates or above. To address these issues, the ADR recommended permanent disqualification of candidates convicted of serious crimes and increased transparency and accountability in politics.