Women and Politics: The Women Contestant to General Elections since 1952 in Assam, India

Abstract

Assam’s political scenario of women’s participation is atypical compare to other States of the Country. The voters of the State have never elected more than two women candidates to the Lok Sabha/General Election in any single parliamentary election; once more in the 17^th General Elections 2019, only one candidate was elected by the voters out of fourteen in the fray in the election. Assam State of North-East India has witnessed in so far sent only seventeen women candidates to the Lok Sabha since First General Elections in 1952. And even though most political parties swore by the plan of amending the Constitution to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the State Legislative Assemblies and the Parliament, it is noteworthy that very few women candidates have contested the Lok Sabha polls from Assam over the decades.

Keywords: Assam; General Election; Women; Politics; Participation;