The Congress will reserve 40% tickets for upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections for women candidates, the party’s UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra announced in Lucknow on Tuesday, while dodging questions on her own electoral debut.
“No one is here to protect you. Only those who talk about protecting you are protected, but not you,” she said, appealing for more women in politics.
Priyanka also announced that applications have been sought from all 403 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh till November 15.
“I urge women to come into politics and stand with me shoulder to shoulder. Together, we will change the politics of this country and this state. The government thinks Rs 2,000 and gas cylinder makes everything okay… We will get strong women candidates and we will support them. If not now, then they will become stronger by the next election,” she added.
Berating the Yogi Adityanath government over women’s safety in the state, Priyanka also referred to the recent incident in Lakhimpur Kheri where an SUV belonging to Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son ran over four farmers.
“When I came to UP in 2019, I met some Allahabad University girls and they told me about different laws for them and male students. This decision has been taken for them. We took this decision for a girl named Paro from Prayagraj who said didi, bade hoke main neta banna chahti hun (I want to be a politician when I grow up). This is also for Vaishnavi, the sister of a martyred pilot from Chandauli who said she wants to become a pilot,” Priyanka said.
“This decision is also for the rape and burn victim of Unnao, for the family of the rape victim in Hathras. This announcement is for tribal women of Sonbhdara…. It is for the daughter of deceased journalist Ramesh Kashyap in Lakhimpur Kheri… I was manhandled by two female cops on my way to Lakhimpur. This decision is for them as well,” she added.
Priyanka Gandhi added that 40% was a figure to start off with and the reservation in tickets for women may be increased to 50% in the future. She, however, sidestepped questions on whether she would contest the 2022 UP elections. “I have not taken a call on it so far,” she said.
On Sunday, Congress’ newly-appointed campaign committee chief in Uttar Pradesh, PL Punia, had said that Priyanka Gandhi “will be the face” of the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
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