Congress to give 40 pc tickets to women in UP polls: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday announced that her party has decided to give 40 per cent tickets to women candidates in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. "Any woman who wants to contest can give an application till October 15," she said.

Lucknow: The Congress party has decided to give 40 per cent of the total election tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while addressing a press conference on Tuesday said, "the Congress party has decided to 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."

Priyanka said the decision was taken for women's empowerment. "Women's empowerment is our motto. Women will be empowered only when they get their rights, when they get a stake in politics. There is no other political motive, agenda behind this decision," she said.

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"Any woman who wants to contest can give an application till October 15," she added.

Slamming the BJP 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 government," she said.