Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra assured that party will field 40% women candidates in upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Priyanka Gandhi said that “Women can bring about change and they need to step forward,"

However, Congress leader said that there will be a caveat for giving 40% seats to women. The candidate competence to win the elections will be the criteria to give a ticket, she said and added that women can only bring changes in the society.

"This decision is for the girls of Uttar Pradesh… ... This decision is for women who want change," said Ms Gandhi Vadra.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been asked to win the UP elections by her brother three years ago. She has joined politics in 2019, attended elections campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in UP.

If going by Priyanka Gandhi’s assurance, Congress has to field 163 women candidates (40%) out of the total 403 candidates contesting on Congress tickets.

However, caste is playing a major role in UP elections. The ruling party is already placating Brahmins, inducted many Brahmin leaders in the recent past. Jitin Prasad, a prominent Brahmin leader of Congress has joined the saffron party.

Upper Caste has miffed with BJP for anointing Yogi Adityanath, a Rajput for the top post. Priyanka Gandhi has already kick-started her campaign in the UP. She was visited Lakhimpur Kheri, where four farmers mowed by SUV owned by Union Minister for Home Ajay Mishra. Opposition parties including Congress have repeatedly called for the minister's resignation.