Guwahati, 5 May

Of the 59 women candidates who contested the polls to the 126-member Assam Assembly, only seven managed to win, the same as the 2021 results.

In the new Assembly, the ruling NDA will have six women legislators, while the opposition Congress has one. Women comprise 49.98 per cent of the total 2.50 crore electorate in the state.

The BJP has increased the tally of its women MLAs to four, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front will have one each. Of the 14 women candidates the Congress fielded, the highest among all parties, only one managed to win.

The NDA is set to form the government in Assam for the third consecutive term.

The most prominent woman candidate to win the election is State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, who retained her Golaghat constituency for the sixth consecutive term.

The other BJP candidates to win are its Mahila Morcha state unit chief Nilima Devi in Mangaldoi and Niso Terangpi from Diphu.

The AGP's Diptimayee Choudhury retained the Bongaigaon seat, while the BPF's Sewli Mohilary won from Kokrajhar. The lone woman Congress candidate to win the seat is first-timer Baby Begum from Dhubri. 

Delimitation key factor in NDA’s landslide win in Assam

The 2023 delimitation of assembly constituencies emerged as a major factor behind the NDA’s sweeping victory in Assam, where it secured a record 102 out of 126 seats. The redrawing of boundaries reshaped electoral demographics, weakened traditional vote banks, and strengthened the ruling alliance’s position.

How Delimitation shifted the political balance

•           Constituency redrawing in 2023 reduced the influence of minority strongholds in several traditional seats.

•           Muslim-majority constituencies were split and merged with indigenous-dominated areas.

•           This led to dilution of minority vote concentration in key regions.

Impact on the minority vote base

•           Minority-dominated constituencies reduced from 35 to fewer than 25.

•           Opposition (Congress + AIUDF) strong wins are largely confined to these 25 seats.

•           Of 24 Opposition wins outside NDA dominance, 22 were Muslim candidates.

Reservation changes

The delimitation kept the number of assembly seats the same at 126 but reserved more constituencies for the Scheduled Tribe and the Scheduled Caste, with the former being increased from 16 to 19 and the latter to nine from eight.

Barpeta and Goalpara (West), seats having a significant number of Bengali-speaking Muslims, were reserved for the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe, respectively, and the NDA wrested both from the Congress.

Bodoland region impact

•           Tribal reserved seats increased: 11 → 15.

•           NDA ally BPF won 10 of these 15 seats.

•           BPF’s only Muslim candidate lost.

NDA performance

•           NDA dominated reserved constituencies overall.

•           Even though AGP fielded 13 Muslim candidates.

•           NDA allies ensured majority gains in the reshaped constituencies.