BJP-Shiv Sena combine and the opposition Congress-NCP alliance have fielded 46 women (Representational)

As many as 150 women are contesting the assembly elections in Maharashtra and less than a third of them are from the four main political parties.

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine and the opposition Congress-NCP alliance have fielded 46 women candidates for the October 21 election to the 288-member house.

The overall number of women candidates too is dismal, considering they account for only 4.6 per cent of the total 3,239 candidates contesting the elections.

The BJP has fielded the highest number of women, at 17, including ten who are sitting MLAs. Its ally the Shiv Sena has fielded seven.

Congress has fielded 14 women while Sharad Pawar's NCP has given tickets to eight women.

In 2014, there were 277 women among 4,119 candidates. Only twenty women had won and entered the assembly then.