Congress wants me to fight Lok Sabha polls from Delhi: Alka Lamba

New Delhi: All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba on Friday said the party wants her to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Delhi and expressed aspiration to enter the electoral contest from Chandni Chowk constituency.

When asked if she could be a potential candidate for the general elections, Lamba said, "My party wants me to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and so do I."

"Whether there is an alliance in the national capital or not, nothing has been finalised about the candidature but if I fight the polls, I will fight it from the Chandni Chowk constituency," she told PTI.

Citing media reports suggesting that there might not be an alliance between the Congress and the AAP in Delhi, Lamba said she is not aware of any agreement or disagreement between the two parties.

"So far, I believe that the alliance between the AAP and the Congress in Delhi is intact. I do not have any information about any agreement or disagreement between the two parties. However, talks are underway," she told PTI in an interview.

Earlier this week, the AAP had said that it wants to contest six seats in Delhi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and offered just one to the Congress.

Speaking about the seat-sharing formula between the two parties, Lamba said that a decision in this regard would soon be taken by the National Alliance Committee.

Speaking about their campaigns and preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, Lamba said the 'Naari Nyay Sammelan' by the Congress is already underway across the country.

She said the campaign is a part of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' and is focused on those women, who have faced injustice in their lives in the last 10 years.

Lamba said "Naari Nyay' is one of the important points in Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.

"It is focused on those women who have faced injustice in their lives in the last 10 years. We are reaching out to women at every corner of the country through this campaign," she said.

The Congress leader further said the campaign will also stress on encouraging the women to step out of their houses and get employed.

The Mahila Congress held their 'Naari Nyay Sammelan' campaign in 15 states so far and reached out to women at the district level.

"On March 8, Mahila Congress will also induct some women, who have expertise in areas like health and law. They will join us in our campaigns dedicated to making the women aware of their health and legal rights," she said.

Lamba said the issue of women's safety will be raised during their campaigns and added the Mahila Congress will set up camps for the women to make them aware of their rights.

"Women's safety is one of the biggest issues that we have been raising and will raise further in our campaigns for the Lok Sabha elections. Self-defense training for women and educating them about their rights are some of the ways through which a woman can feel confident about herself," Lamba said.

"We plan to set up camps for women and make them aware of their rights, we will also distribute pocketbooks mentioning the legal rights that women should be aware of," she added.

Lamba further said unemployment is another major issue among the women and added that employment too can instil confidence within them just like self-defense.

"There are women who are meritorious, talented and have degrees from reputed institutions, but many of them are sitting jobless. Just like self-defense, being employed can also instill confidence in a woman. And not just confidence, it will also reduce cases of domestic violence in the country," she said.

Lamba said that the Congress' women's wing has been seeking suggestions from the women through their 'Naari Nayay Sammelan' and added the ideas will be passed on to the manifesto committee of the party.

"AICC's manifesto committee sought suggestions from us. We are seeking ideas and suggestions from women through the 'Naari Nayay Sammelan' and the same will be passed on to the committee," she said.