Attired in their bright and vibrant clothes, mostly traditional handloom textiles, women outnumber men in campaign rallies and meetings of political parties.
Promises galore have been made by political parties to woo women voters, but when it comes to giving tickets to them, most parties shy away by making a token representation, activists point out.
The women constitute 49.98 per cent of the electoral roll in Assam, but they only make up 8.17 per cent of the total candidates contesting the April 9 elections.
In the 2021 Assam Assembly election, 74 women candidates were in the fray, but this time the number has come down to 59, activists said.
In 16 out of the 35 districts of Assam, women voters outnumber men, but only 59 women candidates are in the fray for the Assam Assembly election.
Among the parties, the opposition Congress has the highest number of women candidates at 14, followed by the ruling BJP at 7, while NDA partners Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) has one, and the regional party AGP does not have a single woman candidate.The AIUDF has given tickets to two women candidates, while the United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL), Raijor Dal and the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) have given tickets to one candidate each, and the rest are independents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a bid to assuage the low representation of women in the electoral field, pointed out in his campaign rallies that there was a requirement for more women’s representation in both Parliament and assemblies.
He assured that 33 per cent reservation of women will be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls and urged women to convince all parties to build a consensus for the Bill to be discussed in the forthcoming special session of Parliament from April 16.
The ruling BJP has claimed that they have given tickets based on the candidate’s performance and to those who have worked hard to strengthen the party at the grassroots.
The decline in the number of women in the fray has not gone down well with women activists, who assert that time and again, political parties have “failed” women by not ensuring implementation of the promise of 33 per cent seats in elected bodies and neglecting women’s representation despite their excellent record in public life as well as governance.
Among the BJP candidates is minister Ajanta Neog, who is contesting from the Golaghat constituency for the sixth consecutive time.
The other women minister in the outgoing cabinet is Nandita Garlosa, who was denied a ticket by the BJP and then went on to join the Congress to contest from the Haflong (ST).
The Congress has a blend of old and new candidates with former minister Pranati Phukan from Naharkatia, sitting MLA Nandita Das from Hajo-Sualkuchi, former legislator Roselina Tirkey from Khumtai, and the party’s state Mahila Morcha President Mira Borthakur Goswami among the veterans.
Two women candidates of its alliance partners – AJP’s Kunki Chowdhury from Guwahati Central and Raijor Dal’s Gyanshree Bora from Mariani are making their electoral debut, but have garnered immense attention from both the public and their opponents.
In the case of 27-year-old Chowdhury, her support from the Gen-Z voters and a section of the Assamese and Bengali electorate has rattled her ruling BJP opponent Vijay Gupta, and even Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has gone to the extent of attacking her mother’s food habits and highlighting the fact that she does not hail from Assam.
Considering the fact that women voters outnumber men in 16 of the 35 districts in the state and that they have emerged as a force that cannot be ignored, political parties have gone all out to woo them with sops and benefits.
“We celebrate women as voters, emphasising on how their turnout has increased in each passing election, but there is no investment in building capacities for potential women to contest elections,” gender activist Anurita Pathak Hazarika told PTI.
Enhancing women’s capacities in electoral processes from grassroots governance is key to achieving women in leadership positions, she asserted.
The ruling BJP claimed that they have given 40 lakh women Rs 1250 per month under the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme, Rs 10,000 each to 30 lakh women under Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina scheme, 5.5 lakh girl students received financial assistance under the Nijut Moina scheme, resulting in an 8.2 per cent reduction in their dropouts, and the state recorded 84 per cent decline in child marriage.
The party in its manifesto also promised to increase the benefit under ‘Orunodoi’ to Rs 3,000 per month, provide legal aid to victims of polygamy, continue to provide financial assistance to girl students, establish hostels for girl students and working women in district headquarters, set up women markets, among others.
The Congress accused the BJP of creating a vote-bank of women beneficiaries from the taxpayers’ money and then forcing them to become party members and attend rallies and meetings.
The Congress has made a guarantee that they will ensure unconditional monthly cash transfer to women, along with Rs 50,000 to those willing to set up or expand a business.
Congress leaders have asserted that their transfer of funds will be unconditional and not like the BJP’s where strings are attached.
Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9. Votes will be counted on May 4.
