Women account for only 59 of the 722 candidates contesting the 2026 Assam Assembly elections across 126 constituencies, underscoring a persistent gender imbalance in the state’s electoral politics, according to affidavit data analysed from Election Commission of India records.
The figures place women at just 8 per cent of the total candidates, unchanged from the 2021 Assembly polls, despite a reduction in the overall number of contestants following delimitation. Men constitute the remaining 663 candidates.
Age-wise, the bulk of candidates fall within the 30–60 age group, with the 40–49 and 50–59 brackets forming the largest share. In contrast, only 176 candidates, or 24 per cent, are aged between 25 and 40, indicating limited youth participation in the electoral fray. Representation declines steadily among older groups, with only a small fraction of candidates in the 70–79 bracket.
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Party-wise data points to limited participation of women across major political formations. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded six women out of 90 candidates, while the Indian National Congress has nominated women in 13 per cent of its seats. Smaller outfits such as the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) report relatively higher proportions of women candidates, though their overall numbers remain limited.
Educational qualifications show that 53 per cent of candidates are graduates or above, while the remainder have schooling levels ranging from primary education to higher secondary.
The data indicates that the demographic profile of candidates continues to be concentrated in middle-age groups, with little change in gender representation over successive election cycles.
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