Lucknow: Congress general secretary and in charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi has announced to give 40 per cent of tickets to women candidates in the coming assembly elections. She said that it would empower women and make them able to fight for their rights in effective manner.

The congress general secretary made this announcement at a press conference in Lucknow on Tuesday and said that it would do justice to the women in UP who had fallen victim to atrocities. . She also released a slogan for her women empowerment campaign `Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon (I am a women and I can fight). Priyanka said that her wish was to raise this limit to 50 per cent but to begin with, it has been kept at 40 per cent. According to her, this decision was taken after meeting with many women victims of state atrocities in UP who want justice in this system.

She said that 161 tickets of 403 assembly segments in UP would be reserved for women only in congress party. When asked about making any woman as CM face in the coming UP elections, Priyanka said that nothing has been decided till date. She however said that very soon a decision in this regard would be taken. Whether the congress general secretary would be the CM candidate for congress party or not, Priyanka refused to give a clear answer and instead said that it is too early to say anything.

While answering to a question regarding the political leaders fielding their women relatives in the elections, Priyanka said there is no harm in it. `First let the women come into the fray and get elected then they would come out of the clutches of men’ said she. In reply to a question on opposition terming her announcement as publicity stunt, Priyanka said that she hardly cares of any such allegation. `They called me political tourists also and lot many things but it has failed to demoralize out workers’, said she.

When asked about congress following the same suit in other states like Punjab and Uttrakhand, Priyanka said that she has implement this in UP and it is up to leaders of other states to follow it or not. However, she said that in the 2024 parliament elections too, UP congress would provide 40 per cent tickets to women candidates.

Congress Gets A Jolt As Senior Leaders Deserts

Giving a severe jolt to congress in Uttar Pradesh, senior leader and member of Priyanka Gandhi advisory team, Harendra Malik has resigned from the party. Harendra Malik’s son and former legislator Pankaj Malik has also left congress on Tuesday. Pankaj Malik was the state vice-president in UP congress and had recently organized a massive rally of Priyanka Gandhi in Muzaffarnagar. Harendra Malik had been former minister in UP and a powerful Jat leader in the western UP.

Both these leaders might join Samajwadi Party very soon. According to SP leaders Harendra and Pankaj Malik had met with the former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav few days back. In the recent past, a large number of prominent leaders in the west UP have joined SP leaving other parties. Last week former BSP MP Qadir Rana had joined SP along with dozens of other leaders.

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