50 women, 33 Dalits among 125 Congress candidates in UP polls

Asha Singh, mother of the 2017 Unnao rape survivor, and Sadaf Jafar - Congress worker whose photo featured on the infamous hoardings of "rioters" in Lucknow after the anti-CAA protests - are among the 125 candidates named by the Congress on Thursday.

Keeping in line with its 40% reservation for women, 50 out of 125 candidates announced by Congress general secretary in charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday were women. The party also focussed on candidates who were "wronged" by the government in some way or the other.

Poonam Pandey - an Asha worker who was allegedly beaten by the UP police in Shahjahanpur in November last year - will also contest the poll. Similarly, Alpana Nishad, representing the Nishad community of Banswar in Prayagraj, whose boats were destroyed and many of their community members roughed up and booked by the UP police will also contest, along with Ram Raj Gond, a tribal from Sonbhadra who had stood for the victims of the 2019 Sonbhadra tribal massacre. Gandhi Vadra had personally met most of these victims over the last three years. "Our list is sending out a new message- if you were a victim of harassment and cruelty then you have the power to fight for your right. Congress in UP will give you that power to fight and support you so you can fight your battle, come into politics, take power in your hand and demand your right," Gandhi Vadra said.

At 33, Congress has given the maximum number of tickets to Dalits, followed by 23 OBCs and 20 Muslims. 18 candiates are Brahmins. 88 out of 125 candidates will be contesting for the first time.