In the recently held assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which took place after a decade-long hiatus, three women were elected to the 90-member legislative assembly. This includes Shamima Firdous and Sakina Itoo from the National Conference (NC) representing the Kashmir division, and Shagun Parihar from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Jammu region. Despite this development, female representation remains low, accounting for only 3.33% of the assembly.
The elections saw a significant increase in female candidates, with 41 women participating compared to just 24 in the 2014 elections. The electoral outcome favored the NC and Indian National Congress (INC) alliance, which secured 48 seats in total. However, the alliance’s representation of Hindu candidates was notably low, with only two out of the 30 Hindu candidates running for election winning their seats.
On the other hand, the BJP won 29 seats, primarily comprising 28 Hindu members and one Sikh member, with no Muslim candidates securing a victory, including two former ministers from the party. This result underscores the ongoing demographic and political dynamics within the region.
