UP women line up for Congress tickets after Priyanka announces 40% reservations for polls

Sources said that as many as 400 women have applied for 121 Assembly seats in the western part of the state

Following Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's announcement to give 40 per cent reservation to women in ticket allotments for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, over 400 women have approached seeking nominations for 121 Assembly seats in the western region, Congress sources said.

"We are getting scores of applications from women every day, seeking party tickets," a senior UP Congress leader told DH.

The leader said that a majority of the applicants had political backgrounds, and came from families of politicians. "They also include spouses, daughters and relatives of senior party leaders," the leader said. "More than a dozen women have sought tickets for six assembly seats in Moradabad district alone."

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The source said that besides the western region, a large number of applications have been received from women for seats from other parts of the state. ''We will be screening all the applicants...winnability will be the main criteria behind selection of the candidates,'' the leader said.

A second senior state Congress leader said that the party leadership had completed the task of screening women candidates in Meerut and Saharanpur divisions. ''We will announce the names of the candidates well in advance this time to enable them to start preparations for the polls,'' the second source said.

Party leaders said that the final decision would be taken by Priyanka. Sources said that the party leadership were elated by the "positive" indication of a large contingent of women applicants.

On Wednesday, Priyanka had released a separate manifesto for women and promised 40 per cent reservation for women in government jobs if the party came to power.

Priyanka, who is the party in-charge of the state, has been focussing on the women voters in her speeches at public meetings. She has been appealing to them to vote on the issue of development and not on the basis of caste or religion.

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