Women lead in voter turnout, falter in political representation across Assam

Guwahati, March 25: Assam has over 1.24 crore women voters, nearly half of its total electorate of around 2.49 crore, and women have recorded higher turnout than men in the past two Assembly elections – 82.42 per cent in 2021 and 84.72 per cent in 2016.

Yet, women political leaders in the State continue to remain expendable for all political parties.

Nandita Gorlosa’s abrupt exclusion from the BJP ticket list despite being a sitting Cabinet Minister and MLA from Haflong, and her subsequent shift to the Congress to stay in the race, is a telling example this election.

In Kokrajhar, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has fielded Sewli Mohilary, replacing veteran Pramila Rani Brahma, who had publicly expressed the desire to fight her “last election”.

This marks yet another instance of a senior woman politician being eased out rather than retained.

The current election cycle has once again highlighted how precarious a woman’s political career can be in the State.

Angoorlata Deka, once projected as a prominent youth and cultural face of the BJP after her victory in 2016.

The vocal legislator (now State women commission head) did not return to electoral fray after she lost Batadrawa to Congress’ Sibamoni Bora in 2021.

Ankita Dutta, daughter of former APCC president Anjan Dutta, despite her political lineage, continues to navigate uncertainty even after switching parties.

There are a few notable exceptions. Senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, who is seeking her sixth consecutive term, stands out as longest-serving female legislator of Assam.

Leaders like Bijoya Chakravarty from an earlier generation, and Sushmita Dev of Trinamool Congress also managed to build long and influential career. Yet, these remain exceptions in a landscape where most women struggle to maintain continuity.

“Such trajectories are in sharp contrast to those of male politicians, because we have developed a political culture where women are not politically motivated enough to take their own decisions. A mere tokenism exists, where we celebrate the success of some big politicians’ wives or relative as the success of women in general, which is never true,” said Dr Madhurima Goswami, Head, Chandraprabha Saikiani Centre for Women Studies, Tezpur University.

Further, former Deputy Speaker and sitting AGP MLA Renupoma Rajkhowa’s electoral wins, which spread across decades, could not save her from being expendable this time.

Bismita Gogoi, former minister in Tarun Gogoi term, had to switch parties in recent years to remain politically active after a prolonged phase of hiatus.

Former Union Minister of State Ranee Narah’s career also reflects a similar pattern.

The numbers for the 2026 elections reinforce this structural imbalance. The Congress has fielded 14 women candidates, while the BJP has named seven women.

AIUDF has increased its count to two, but regional parties such as AGP and BPF have reduced their representation to just one woman candidate each.

In the last Assembly election (2021), total 76 women candidates were fielded across political parties and Independent categories of which only six could make it to the floor of the House in 126-member Assembly. In 2016, eight out of 91 candidates were elected.

Observers point to deeper structural issues within party systems. Women leaders are often deployed as visible campaign faces and symbols of inclusivity, yet are not always backed with long-term organizational investment or electoral security.

The 2026 election reinforces a recurring truth about Assam’s politics. Women leaders are visible, celebrated, but not always secure.

For every Ajanta Neog who builds a long career, there are many more Angoorlata, Ankita, Bismita, Nandita, whose political journeys are shaped as much by party calculations as by public mandate.