The Congress had on Wednesday suspended its 'Pink Marathons' for girls in Azamgarh, Varanasi and Noida, and political rallies owing to a rise in Covid-19 cases. (Express File Photo) With the Congress suspending its girls’ marathons in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh amid surging Covid-19 cases, the party has opted for virtual quiz competition to woo the women voters as part of its ‘Ladki Hun, Lad Sakti Hun’ campaign.
Titled ‘Digital Marathon’, the new campaign will be virtually launched by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday, party sources said. Under the new format, girls are required to answer five questions, based on Congress’s 15-page manifesto for women, in 60 seconds.
Winners and runners-up will be awarded the same set of prizes — scooties, smartphones and health wrist bands — as those under the earlier campaign of a 5-km run for girls.
The Congress had on Wednesday suspended its ‘Pink Marathons’ for girls in Azamgarh, Varanasi and Noida, and political rallies owing to a rise in Covid-19 cases. The revised format showed that the Congress campaign for the UP Assembly polls would remain focussed on women, party sources said.
A party leader said around 2 lakh girls and women had already registered themselves for the ‘Digital Marathon’, and more were likely to join after the launch.
“The visuals of women and girls participating in the marathon has so far provided a very empowering image. So the idea is to keep girls engaged. But because of the spread of Covid, it is not possible to bring them together. Hence, it has been decided to rather connect with them through a digital platform,” said a Congress member privy to the campaign.
Sources said it was for the first time in the recent times that such a Congress campaign had struck a chord with a large section of the population. They claimed that the party had received several calls from girls enquiring about the resumption of ‘Pink Marathons’.
“The idea behind the campaign is to assure women and girls that the Congress will fulfill its poll promises if it comes to power. To set an example, these prizes are being given as promised by the party,” said a Congress leader.
Among other poll promises made by the Congress are reserving 40 per cent of the party tickets for women, a 40 per cent quota for women in government jobs, easy loans for women entrepreneurs and giving away smartphones and scooties to girl students.
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