Women, SC & ST in Phase-I of Assam Elections
Posted on March 22, 2011 by iSikkim
Tilak Jha
How 'free and fair' are we when it comes to bringing forward those who
have been left behind in the electoral process? Here is an analysis of
the Assam assembly electoral politics with regards to three important
section of Assamese population i.e. the women, the SCs and the STs.
A total of 529 candidates are in the electoral fray in the first phase
of Assam assembly elections 2011. This includes 42 female and 487 male
candidates. While 42 might not sound very insignificant number, it is
insignificant when seen as a percentage of total candidates fighting
election. Women are almost half of the population of Assam and the 42
candidates out of 529 who are fighting the election in the first phase
is a miniscule 7.6 percent. The reality of the break up of 42 is even
more difficult to accept.
Caste wise there are 418 general, 35 SC and 76 ST candidates in the
first phase of Assam assembly election. The ticket distribution in the
first phase suggests that SC and ST candidates (Scheduled Caste) form
respectively 6.6 and 14.36 percentage of the total number of
candidates running for a seat. The percentage of SCs and STs in the
population of Assam, according to Census 2001, was 6.9 and 12.4
percent respectively.
Due to reservation of seats in case of SCs and STs, they do get a fair
representation in terms of those who will form the final house. Sadly,
reservation is the only way we have chosen to bring SC/ST forward.
Of the 126 seats in Assam assembly, a total of 28 seats (9 for SC and
19 for ST) have been reserved for the SCs and STs. And out of the 62
Assembly Constituencies of eastern and southern Assam going to polls
on April 4, 2011 in the first phase, 12 seats (3 for SC and 9 for ST)
are reserved for SC and ST candidates.
Reservation at least leaves the SC/ST represented by someone from
among their own. But without reservation women remain an ignored lot.
A deeper analysis reveals that the figure of 42 is far from fair.
BJP and the ruling Congress gave 9 tickets each to women candidates.
It amounts to almost 15 percent of the 62 seats going under vote, far
below the 33 percent reservation for women in central and state
legislatures that both these parties support. BJP has given 3 of the 9
ticket to women SC/ST candidates. Congress has distributed 2 tickets
to women SC/ST candidates.
But the disparity can be gauged from the fact that 30 out of 62
Assembly Constituencies do not have any women candidate in the fray.
Among the rest, the largest segment of women candidates are of
independents i.e. 11 of the 42.
The regional parties who raise the greatest hue and cry whenever
women's reservation bill is brought in the Parliament are worse in
terms of being fair to women folk. Asom Gana Parishad gave just three
tickets to women candidates. All the three women candidates of AGP
come from SC/ST background. But the real bottom has been hit by
Badruddin Ajmal's All India United Democratic Front which didn't find
one women candidate competent enough to be given a ticket.
Again while the Congress and the BJP have given tickets to 9 women
candidates, Congress has given 6 of the 9 tickets from constituencies
where it won last time. Congress won 36 out of the 62 assembly seats
which will vote on April 4 in 2006 assembly elections.
The percentage of SC and ST candidates might be proportionate to their
overall population of Assam but that doesn't represent social equity.
Most of the SC/ST candidates are from SC/ST seats. The number of SC/ST
candidates fighting from a general seat doesn't represent their coming
forward or blurring of caste identities as far as elections are
concerned. Out of the 50 general seats, (12 of the 62 seats going to
poll in the 1st phase are reserved), only 19 seats have any SC/ST
candidate trying their luck. 31 general seats have no SC/ST candidate,
not even as an independent. In this particular regard, independent
SC/ST candidate again lead the way by fighting from 8 general seats.
BJP gave 5 tickets to SC/ST candidates to fight election from general
seats, albeit BJP didn't win any of the five seats in 2006 assembly
election. Congress didn't give any ticket to any SC/ST candidate to
fight election from general seat.
May be, we as a nation, need much soul searching and actually start
doing something to ensure that free and fair doesn't remain a phrase
quoted in books and speeches.
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