Congress to Reserve 40% Tickets for Women in Upcoming UP Assembly Elections: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lucknow

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "These tickets will be given on the basis of merit and not just on the basis of caste or religion."

Lucknow: With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 just around the corner, the Congress party has decided that it will give 40 per cent of the total election tickets to women in the state. The announcement was made by Congress general secretary and state’s party in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her visit to Lucknow on Tuesday to review the party’s preparedness for the upcoming polls in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “The Congress party has decided that it will give 40 per cent of the total election tickets to women. These tickets will be given on the basis of merit and not just on the basis of caste or religion.” “I have taken this decision for women’s empowerment. There is no other political motive, agenda behind this decision,” she added. “We want women in politics to become a full-fledged partner in power,” she told reporters.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh government in the state over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, she said, “Unfortunately, those who mow down people in the state are protected by the Centre and those who get killed, mowed down plead for justice here.” “We all saw what happened in Hathras, Lakhimpur….what do you expect from such a BJP government,” she said.

Tasked with reviving the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh for the 2022 assembly election, Priyanka Gandhi will also hold a press conference in Lucknow shortly. With the polls around the corner, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been touring the state for the last few months periodically and meeting the party workers. She is all set to shift base permanently to Lucknow till elections are held for sending a message that the Congress is serious about its revival plans and looking to connect with people on the ground.

Earlier on Sunday, the party’s newly-appointed campaign committee chief P L Punia said that Priyanka will be the face of the Congress’ election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, and also asserted that the AICC general secretary is the most popular political figure in the state at present.

Punia, who on Friday was named as the head of the key 20-member election campaign committee of the Congress for the UP polls next year, noted that very rarely has the Congress announced a chief ministerial face and said that not having declared one till now will not hamper the party’s chances as it already has a personality like Priyanka Gandhi to lead the charge against the BJP.

It is a direct contest between Congress and the BJP in the UP polls as both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have “fallen behind” and were “not in the fight anymore”, Punia told PTI in an interview.

Punia said Priyanka Gandhi has fought for truth on all issues and when the Lakhimpur Kheri incident happened, she immediately left to meet the family of the victims, and was detained in Sitapur, but remained determined in her quest for justice. He said she was “successful” in her struggle and went to Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich to met the families of the victims.

The Congress on Friday constituted different panels for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, with Punia being named head of the crucial campaign committee. Priyanka Gandhi has been constantly taking up issues of the people and will keep doing so, Punia said.

He said people realise that she has been fighting for justice and these sentiments are bound to translate into votes. “So, definitely the Congress has an upper hand in polls,” he added.