Women have their best ever representation in the 15th state assembly this time since 1962 with 32 seats inspite of the fact that they constituted only 8.74 per cent of the total number of candidates in the fray for the elections in Bihar.

Despite accounting for nearly half of the total 5.50 crore electorate, women emerged only a pale shadow of their strength in the male-dominated political landscape of Bihar.

If the four major political players - the ruling JD(U), BJP, Congress, RJD and LJP, besides major left parties are be taken into account, then the women candidates in fray were just around 90.

JD(U) and BJP fielded maximum 24 and 11 women candidates, despite the two major NDA allies setting a model by providing for 50 per cent reservation for women in the panchayati raj Institutions and civic bodies.

RJD and LJP opposing the passage of the women's reservation bill in the present form and favouring a quota within quota, put up six and seven candidates, respectively.

The Congress which contesting all 243 assembly seats in Bihar fielded 23 women, while the major Left parties -- CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML (Liberation) fielded three, two and 11, respectively.

This only speaks of the roadblocks in the progress of women. For them, their secured domain still remains their home and not the battlefield of polity, social activist Nivedita remarks.

Curiously, this remains a paradox. If one hand women have done fairly well and climbed the ladder of success, on the other hand they are mute sufferers of the violence afflicted on them by their own family members, she says.

Excepting for an Independent Jyoti Rashmi, who won from Dehri, rest 32 women candidates who came out with flying colours are from JD-U (22) and BJP (10).