Congress releases first list of candidates for Uttar Pradesh polls

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday released the party's first list of 125 candidates, including 50 women, for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The party has also fielded Unnao rape victim's mother Asha Singh from the Unnao Assembly constituency.

Addressing a press conference, she said 40 per cent of the Congress candidates are women and another 40 percent are youth and by doing so the party is making a new and historic beginning.

She said the party has fielded such candidates who have struggled for seeking justice in Uttar Pradesh and the party wants them to come to the forefront and be a part of power in the state.

"With 40 percent women and 40 percent youth, we hope to start a new kind of politics in Uttar Pradesh,"she said.

"Our list gives a new message. We want to tell those who have struggled for their rights and for seeking justice in the past, that they have the power to fight for their rights and the Congress party will give that power to them to be a part of power in the state," Vadra also said.

The AICC general secretary in-charge for Uttar Pradesh did not answer whether she will contest the elections herself.

She said the party will not run a negative campaign in these polls and will instead run a positive campaign for a bright future of Uttar Pradesh while highlighting the issues concerning the people and those of women and development.

Taking on the Uttar Pradesh government, she said, it has been "dictatorial" and the discussion in elections is skewed.

"Our focus would be to bring issues of people to centre-stage," she said.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to have seven-phase polls beginning from February 10.