MP CM Shivraj Chouhan counters Congress' 40% tickets to women; claims 'We are giving 50%'

Countering Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's decision to allot 40% poll tickets to women, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday, claimed that BJP had fielded 50% women candidates. Chouhan had pointed out that BJP had fielded two women candidates for the four by-elections in Madhya Pradesh. Jobat, Raigaon, Prithvipur Assembly seats and Khandwa Lok Sabha are up for polls on October 30.

Chouhan: 'BJP fielded 50% women candidates'

"I don't know what he said. We have given 50% tickets to women here (Madhya Pradesh). Four by-elections are being held, out of which women candidates are contesting in two places - Sulochana ji and Pratima ji. People are with us and we have full faith that we are sure of winning all the seats in this by-election," said Chouhan.

Priyanka Vadra: '40% tickets to women'

On Tuesday, Congress announced that it has allocated 40% of its poll tickets for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll to women. Flanked by Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate and Aradhana Misra,  Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed that 'women are not coming together' and this had to be changed. Her move has been criticised by BSP Supremo Mayawati, questioning why 33% reservation has not been given to women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.

Explaining the rationale, Vadra said, "If it (proportion of tickets allocated to women) increases here, it will increase at the national level too. I am the UP in-charge. We have taken a decision here with everyone's consent. The rationale for this is that women are not coming together to become a force. They are being divided into caste and religion. The political parties feel that they can women happy by giving a gas cylinder of Rs.2000. But the struggle of women is a very long one," at a Lucknow press conference.

UP Polls 2022

With BJP fighting under the leadership of incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath, several fronts have cropped up to challenge the ruling BJP. While Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj has allied with AIMIM, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party; parties like AAP, Shiv Sena, Azad Samaj Party and JDU have announced that they will be contesting for the UP polls. SP chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav has stated that SP will only ally with smaller political parties for the 2022 Assembly polls, holding talks with Mahan Dal, NCP. Mayawati has already announced that her party will fight polls alone in UP and Uttarakhand, while allying only with Akali Dal in Punjab.  Congress has aggressively campaigned under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi in the state, eyeing its solo return. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi Adityanath rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022.