India, March 19 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first list of candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections has renewed focus on women's representation, with the party fielding six women, one fewer than in the 2021 polls.

The candidates include Madhavi Das (Birsing-Jarua), Jyostna Kalita (Chaygaon), Nilima Devi (Mangaldai), Ajanta Neog (Golaghat), Niso Terangpi (Diphu), and Rupali Langthasa (Haflong).

While the inclusion reflects a continued, albeit limited, presence of women in the party's electoral strategy, the decline has drawn attention, particularly in light of earlier assurances from the leadership. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had, in the run-up to the elections, indicated that the party would expand women's repre...