Though they have pride of place in Assamese households and society, women in this state lag behind the men in the political arena.
Assamese political parties, which depend on feminine charm to woo voters during elections, have failed miserably in having a proportionate number of women candidates in these elections. Out of the 997 candidates in the fray for the 26 seats in the 12th Assembly elections, there are only 68 women being fielded by different political parties, or contesting as independents.
This belies the oft-trumpeted promises that political parties make to facilitate 33 percent representation for women in democratic policy-making bodies. And all parties have a similar explanation for the lesser numbers of women candidates - that they do not have a sufficient number of women who are capable of winning elections. Indeed, if this is true, they have only themselves to blame for not grooming the women.
What is ironic, however, is that the same parties vie to rope in glamourous and powerful women to campaign for them. In the past, everyone from Sonia Gandhi to Hema Malini to Smrita Irani and Jayaprada has hit Assam's campaign trail. But their presence has failed enthuse women politicos in the state whose presence is so insignificant in the poll race.
The ruling Congress, which is banking on the charisma of its leader Sonia Gandhi to woo voters in the state, has fielded only 15 women. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has sent Sushma Swaraj, Hema Malini and Smriti Irani for campaigning in Assam has chosen to give nomination to only 15 women.
The regional Asom Gana Parishad, which has flaunted Jaya Bachchan and Jaya Prada during electioneering, cuts a sorry figure by fielding only six women in the fray. The Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive), led by former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, has fielded five women. Other smaller parties including Nationalist Congress Party, CPI (ML), JD (U), Assam United Democratic Front have put up ten women candidates among themselves. Sixteen other women are contesting as independents.
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