Chhattisgarh BJP president Vikram Usendi claimed that the Congress lacked a clear cut policy on participation of women in the party politics as it was yet to come out of its dynastic mindset.
The BJP leader was reacting to the Congress’s decision to field two woman candidates in Chhattisgarh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Usendi said his party unlike the Congress keeps total transparency on the political participation of women within the party.
He said this clarity in his party’s policy was reflected in the naming of women candidates in the party’s first list. He said the women candidates having political background and mass appeal have been picked as candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
“The BJP is committed to empower women by giving equal opportunities to them in all aspects. Announcing their names in the first list, the party gave them due respect,” he went on to claim.
He further stated that the Congress fielded women candidates only under pressure from the BJP.
The Congress gave tickets to former MLA Pratima Chandrakar from Durg Lok Sabha seat and Jyotsna Mahant, wife of Assembly Speaker Charandas Mahant, from Korba.
Usendi said Congress’s selection of woman candidates smacked of its “dynastic mindset.”
“Instead of selecting candidates from among dedicated and mass-base leaders, the party gave priority to family and dynasty in allocating the tickets,” the BJP state president alleged.
“Due to this character of the party, the Congress’s strength in the Lok Sabha will come down to 4 from 44,” he said.