Congress to open doors for larger participation of women in elections: Rahul

Congress party is ready open its doors for larger participation of women in Parliament, state assemblies and various other walks of public life. Without the power of women it was difficult to achieve the overall development of the nation, said Rahul Gandhi, AICC Vice President.

 

Speaking at the conference organised by the Karnataka Mahila Congress at Tumkur, about 70 kms from here, today, he said Congress would spare no effort to pass the Women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, after it had been passed in the Raja Sabha.

 

“The country should be inspired by Karnataka, which first introduced 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies and made the Women SHG movement a success. This benefited the whole nation as the model was followed elsewhere. Uttar Pradesh implemented it with good success,” Gandhi noted.

 

 

He said the Congress would provide every opportunity to women and ensure what is due to them and strengthen them. “My party will also ensure their safety. We want to use women’s power for national development,” he said.

 

Gandhi said the UPA government had been most responsive to women’s aspirations and their needs. “You asked subsidised LPG cylinder cap be raised to 12 from nine a year and we followed suit. The UPA Government is also bringing a stringent law to act against crimes like rape which the party expects to be passed in the current session,” he told the conference.

 

Gandhi remembered the plight of women in his home constituency Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and said women often complained how they were oppressed everywhere, whether be at work, at home or even while travelling. “We need to ensure women’s dignity and my party will work hard to ensure it. We also need to make sure girl students get best facility at schools and hostels,” he said.

 

He said the party had thrown open its doors for women to become its candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabah elections. It would provide tickets on priority basis to women who deserve equal rights. “Women should come and contest all elections be it Lok Sabha, Assembly, Zilla panchayat or gram sabhas. We welcome them,” Gandhi added.

 

After the public meeting, Gandhi left on a road show to Mysore. This road show has been the longest for the Congress leader who has embarked on the 156-km travel. He would reach Mysore late this evening and leave for Delhi from there.

 

He also remarked that men outnumber women at the conference for women. Earlier, the organizers had let more men as there were not many women attending the show.