Assam Assembly Polls 2026: Women underrepresented, only 59 of 722 candidates in fray

The 2026 Assam Assembly election reflects a continued gender imbalance, with women accounting for only 59 of the 722 candidates contesting across 126 constituencies, according to affidavit data analysed from Election Commission records.

Women constitute just 8 per cent of the total candidates, unchanged from the 2021 Assembly election, despite a reduction in the overall number of contestants following delimitation. Men account for the remaining 663 candidates.

Age distribution data indicates that most candidates fall within the 30–60 age bracket. The 40–49 and 50–59 age groups together form the largest share of the electoral field. In contrast, only 176 candidates, or 24 per cent, are between 25 and 40 years of age, indicating limited youth participation.

Among older candidates, representation declines steadily beyond 60 years. Only a small fraction of candidates fall in the 70–79 age group.

Party-wise, women’s participation remains limited across major political formations. The BJP has fielded six women out of 90 candidates, while the Congress has nominated women in 13 per cent of its seats. Smaller parties such as the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) report relatively higher proportions, though their overall numbers remain low.

Educational qualifications show that 53 per cent of candidates are graduates or above, while the rest have schooling levels ranging from primary education to higher secondary.

The data indicates that while the demographic profile of candidates remains concentrated in middle age groups, gender representation continues to show minimal change over successive election cycles.