Elections 2026: What Cash Transfers Actually Mean for Assam’s Women
Assam voted on 9 April 2026 in a single-phase election across 126 constituencies. Women voters now constitute nearly half the electorate (49.98%), a slight increase from 49.4% in the 2021 elections.
The BJP doubled down on efforts to woo these over 1.25 crore women voters through cash transfer schemes such as Orunodoi, targeted at economically vulnerable households, Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina for female students in higher secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate levels and Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan for women in self-help groups.
In village after village, many women voters vouch for how these direct benefit schemes have helped them. But concerns remain over patchy implementation and whether these schemes are addressing deeper issues like stagnant incomes and a precarious labour market.
Meanwhile, the Congress party, which is leading the opposition alliance in the state, also announced Rs 50,000 unconditional cash transfer to women to “start or grow businesses”.
Even as political parties try to court women voters, this focus is unlikely to translate into greater representation. The number of women candidates has fallen this time: of the 722 candidates in the fray, only 59 are women, down from 79 in the 2021 Assembly elections. Currently, out of 126 MLAs, only seven are women.
Read more about Assam’s cash transfer schemes and the reality of the State’s economy in this piece for Frontline:
Assam votes with empty pockets and cash in hand
Angana Chakrabarti is a Guwahati-based independent multimedia journalist. She primarily covers the north-eastern region.
