The report reveals that Assam's sitting women MPs & MLAs have the lowest average assets in India at Rs 2.18 crore.

The state has emerged at the bottom of the national table in terms of average assets held by sitting women MPs and MLAs, according to the latest report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW).

The analysis, based on self-declared affidavits of 512 women parliamentarians and state legislators across India, offers a comprehensive snapshot of women in politics — covering their financial backgrounds, educational qualifications, age profiles, and criminal records.

Among the eight women legislators from Assam, the average asset value stands at a modest Rs 2.18 crore — the lowest among all states and union territories.

Mizoram (Rs 2.20 crore) and Manipur (Rs 2.84 crore) follow closely, highlighting a broader trend of comparatively lower personal wealth among women elected representatives in the Northeast.

Collectively, the eight lawmakers from Assam have declared assets totalling Rs 17.46 crore — significantly below the national average of ₹20.34 crore per woman legislator.

Regional comparison in asset holdings

While Assam records the lowest average, other Northeastern states show varied financial standings:

• Meghalaya: Average assets of Rs. 12.28 crores.
• Nagaland: Rs. 7.25 crores.
• Manipur: Rs. 2.84 crores.
• Mizoram: Rs. 2.20 crores.
• Tripura: Rs. 9.99 crores.

Interestingly, none of the women legislators from the Northeast feature among the top 10 richest women MPs or MLAs in the country — a list overwhelmingly dominated by representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

However, Assam fares better on the education front. Nearly 75% of the state's women lawmakers are graduates or hold higher degrees, reflecting a commendable level of academic attainment. Only two of the eight representatives have education levels ranging between Class 5 and Class 12.

This trend of educational strength extends across the broader Northeast as well, where women legislators generally present a relatively high academic profile despite limited personal wealth.

• Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim have 100% of their women legislators with graduate and above qualifications.
• Manipur records 60% in this category, while Nagaland has 67%.

The age profile of Assam’s women legislators leans heavily toward experience, with 75% aged above 50 and only a quarter under 50. This contrasts with states like Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, where younger women — under the age of 50 — make up a larger share of the political landscape.

Encouragingly, Assam does not feature among the states with a high incidence of criminal or serious criminal cases against its women representatives. However, Meghalaya makes an appearance in the report, with one out of its four women legislators (25%) facing a serious criminal charge, mostly under sections pertaining to major offenses.

At the national level, the ADR report paints a starker picture - 28% of sitting women MPs and MLAs have declared criminal cases, and 15% are facing serious charges. The average asset value nationwide stands at ₹20.34 crore, and as many as 17 women legislators fall in the billionaire category.

Overall, the report underscores the stark economic and demographic disparities in women’s political representation across India. While the Northeast, particularly Assam, stands out for its educational achievements and cleaner records, it continues to reflect economic modesty — a reality that perhaps mirrors the region’s broader socio-economic context.