New Delhi: At a time when most of the key political parties are focusing on caste-centric politics in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been tasked with regaining the party's lost ground in the political heartland, has decided to go ahead in the upcoming Assembly elections with women empowerment mandate and announced reservation of 40 per cent of its tickets in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections for women.
As per the announcement, Congress will field 161 women candidates in the UP Assembly election, which is slated for early next year. Congress had won only seven seats in the 403-member UP House in 2017 polls and in 2017 Assembly elections, only 40 women candidates had won the poll. In the state, out of a total of 14.05 crore voters, 6.3 crore are female and 7.7 crore are male electorates.
However, the AICC general secretary, who has been tasked with regaining the party's lost ground in the political heartland, was non-committal about contesting the upcoming state polls herself. "It has not been decided yet," she said in response to a question on the possibility of her contesting the polls.
"It is the party's promise to give 40 per cent tickets to women in the upcoming elections. Had I had my way, I would have given 50 per cent tickets to them," she said, adding that it could be taken forward in the 2024 elections.
"There is no hidden meaning behind it. We want women in politics to become full-fledged partners in power. We have decided that in the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress party will give 40 per cent of tickets to women," she said.
The announcement by the Congress leader was greeted with the bursting of firecrackers and slogan-shouting by women workers who were watching the press conference on a large screen put up at the party office.
Asked if she will also enter the electoral fray, Priyanka said: "It has not yet been decided. There is still some time for elections and I will think about it and take a decision later."
Elaborating on why this decision has been taken, she named a number of women and girls whom she had met in the state since 2019 and said it was for them and for every woman of UP who wants justice, change and unity and also wants her state's progress.
"Women will have to come forward if the country has to be taken forward on the path of equality and participation and has to be pulled out of the politics of caste and religion," she said, adding that women candidates should apply for tickets by November 15.
When asked if this formula could be replicated in the party organisation, she said efforts will be made in that direction. The Congress leader further added that she wanted to do a new kind of politics and fight for those who are not able to raise their voice and bring change and hope with the belief that the state can move forward without misuse of power.