Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday, 19 October, declared that 40 percent of the party's candidates who will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be women.
"The Congress party has decided that it will give 40 percent of the total election tickets to women in the state," Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI at a press conference on Tuesday.
"These tickets will be given on the basis of merit, and not just on the basis of caste or religion," she added.
"I have taken this decision for women's empowerment. There is no other political motive, agenda behind this decision."Priyanka Gandhi, as quoted by ANI
"Women power has an important role in the progress of the country and society, we will empower them by giving political share to that role. Congress is going to fulfil the promise of women empowerment. Women power is going to get political stake," the Congress party said in a tweet shortly after the announcement.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which presently holds a majority in the state, had won the 2017 polls with an overwhelming mandate of 312 seats. While the Samajwadi Party (SP) had won 47 seats and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won 19 seats, the Congress had merely secured victory in seven seats.
The 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are likely to be held during February-March, and will see parties contesting for 403 Assembly constituencies.
The elections are particularly critical for the BJP, in order for the party to retain its heft at the Centre.
Five states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand – are expected to go to polls in 2022.
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