'Women's political participation low in UP as Cong was out of power for long'

After Congress announced its decision to give 40 per cent of the total election tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, senior party leader Salman Khurshid said that women's participation in politics has remained very low in UP as Congress has not been in power in the state for a long time.

Lucknow:Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said that the Congress party has not been in power in Uttar Pradesh for a long time and so women's participation in political processes has remained very low in the state. Khurshid's comments come after the Congress party announced its decision to give 40 per cent of the total election tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year.

"There are many challenges faced by women in the state. They are facing multiple forms of discrimination and targeted violence. Women should be given a chance, only then we will know what they are capable of. That is the reason why the party has decided to give 40 per cent of tickets to women," he said.

Khurshid further said that the party will soon declare the name of its chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh. He had earlier said that party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will decide whether she wants to be the chief ministerial candidate or not.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi said that the decision to give 40 per cent tickets to women candidates in the UP polls 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 in a press conference.