Assam’s poll paradox: Women lead the ballot, men rule the House

GUWAHATI: In Assam, women continue to outvote men, yet men dominate political power. Despite women outperforming men in turnout during the last two assembly elections —holding a 0.34 percentage point lead in 2016 and a 0.41 point lead in 2021 — this electoral strength has not turned into representation. Women’s presence in the contest has shrunk, and their numbers in the 126-member house have fallen.

ECI data shows that only eight of 91 women candidates across parties, including BJP and Congress, won in 2016. In 2021, just six of 76 managed to enter the assembly, underscoring the widening gap between women’s voting power and their share of political authority.

Between 2016 and 2021, Assam’s electorate expanded by 34.46 lakh, and ballots cast rose by 23.89 lakh. Yet overall turnout fell from 84.67% to 82.42%, a decline of 2.26 percentage points. Both genders saw reduced participation — men from 84.33% to 81.60% (down 2.73 points) and women from 84.67% to 82.01% (down 2.66 points). Still, women retained their edge, widening the female-male gap from 0.34 to 0.41 percentage points.

Women’s share of the electoral rolls nudged up from 48.27% in 2016 to 49.29% in 2021, while their share of votes cast rose from 48.27% to 49.04%, signalling movement toward parity.

Yet, in candidate selection, women were pushed further to the margins. The total number of candidates fell, but women’s nominations dropped faster — from 91 to 76 — showing that parties scaled back rather than strengthened women’s participation. Men not only received far more tickets but also converted them into seats, winning 120 in 2021 compared to 118 in 2016. Women slipped from eight winners to just six.

Govt formation reflected the same imbalance. In the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led govt formed in 2021, only two women became ministers — Ajanta Neog (finance) and Nandita Gorlosa (sports & youth welfare). In the previous Sarbananda Sonowal-led govt, just one woman, Pramila Rani Brahma, held a cabinet post (forest).

Party nominations also reveal the disparity. In 2021, BJP fielded only seven women out of 93 candidates, while Congress fielded nine out of 95. In 2016, BJP nominated women in six of 84 seats contested, while Congress fielded women in 17 of 122.

This year, the Assam Pradesh BJP leadership and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma have announced plans to introduce more women candidates besides, bringing in young and fresh faces in the upcoming single-phase elections. Earlier, he said the party prefers young and energetic faces and is now focusing on increasing women’s representation in the assembly.