The making of the Constitution brought the women legal equality. Though the constitutional provisions allowed the women to leave the relative calm of the domestic sphere to enter the male-dominated political sphere, the involvement of women in politics has been low key. This article enumerates the factors which have resulted in a wide chasm between the 'dejure' and 'defacto' status of political participation of women in India. Political participation is a complex phenomenon, which can be comprehended by analyzing several factors. With a purpose of studying this complex situation the article has classified the factors into three categories - psychological variable, socio-economic variable and political variable. It concludes that the participation of women is essential as a demand of simple justice as well as a necessary condition for human existence. This can be achieved not just by increasing the numbers but by ensuring that women leaders perceive the problems and effectively resolve the issues. The acceptance of their own equality and confidence in their ability will go a long way in altering the political scenario.