Priyanka announces 40 pc tickets to women in UP Polls, BJP-BSP call it ‘political gimmick’
New Delhi, Oct 19 (Agency) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s announcement of giving 40 per cent tickets in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections to women has posed a new challenge for all the political parties, though most political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dismissed this declaration by the Congress as a ‘political gimmick’. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati termed the Congress’ announcement as ‘pure drama’. If we look at the number of women candidates during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, BJP had given tickets to 46 women, out of which 35 women won. Two out of 12 women candidates of Congress won, two out of 21 BSP candidates won, only one out of 43 in Samajwadi Party women candidates emerged victorious and one out of two women candidates in Apna Dal won.
The State election is due early next year and every political party is leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to the voters. Election analysts believe that although the politics of the state is divided into religion and caste votes and each political party is trying to align the castes in their favor, but the Congress’ announcement has given a new turn to the political debate of the state. Sanjay Kumar, Director, CSDS said, “The main reason for this is that in the last few years, if we look at it, it is found that in more than 10 states, the turnout of women voters has started increasing as compared to men. Along with this, till a decade ago, where women did not take personal decisions in voting, but now about 50 percent women have started voting on their own. Obviously, the eyes of the political parties are now busy in attracting the women voters.” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the BJP government has always been in favor of giving strength to women. There are 11 women ministers in the central cabinet today, highest number ever. Women have been at the center in Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Yojana. “We don’t clap by giving empty plates like the Congress,” he quipped.