GUWAHATI: Even as political and social forums are abuzz with talks of gender equality and women empowerment on International Women’s Day, the meagre representation of the fairer sex in the candidates list of political parties announced so far in Assam, paints a grim picture.
Despite vehement demands within their parties, mainstream parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress have just given a symbolic representation to women in their candidates list announced so far in Assam for upcoming polls.
While the ruling BJP has named 70 of its candidates for the ensuing polls, only four women candidates have found their place in the list.
They include Angoorlata Deka from Batadroba, Ajanta Neog from Golaghat, Surabhi Rajkonwar from Sivasagar and Nandita Garlosa from Haflong. More or less on similar lines, in the list of 40 candidates announced by Congress so far, only six women candidates have been given tickets to contest in the upcoming Assam elections 2021.
Regional parties like Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Badrudddin Ajmal led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) have not named a single woman candidate in their list.The newly floated Asom Jatiya Parishad has named two candidates in the list of 50 declared so far.
Leaders of all parties, however, maintained that selection of candidates was solely based on the ‘winnability factor.’ And politics is dominated by men despite female voters playing a big role.
