Guwahati, Nov 24 (IANS) Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress, the women's wing of the ruling Congress party in the state, Monday demanded 33 percent reservation for women candidates in the upcoming general elections.
'We want at least four seats for women candidates to contest in the Lok Sabha elections. I think we are justified in our demand and we have already intimated the same to Congress president Sonia Gandhi,' president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress Moloya Barman told IANS.
There are 14 parliamentary seats in Assam and all the sitting MPs are males. Major political parties in Assam fielded no women candidates during the last general elections.
'Already we have mobilised support and are working actively across the state with our women supporters and workers giving their best to highlight various issues. Having women MPs would further help in taking forward women related issues in parliament,' Barman said.
Secretary of the All India Mahila Congress Naznin Faruquie said: 'We hope this time the party would generously consider fielding women candidates. From our side, we shall lobby in all party forums for our demand.'
Assam Pradesh Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi too echoed the sentiments. 'If we have capable women candidates, we shall surely field them. We also want women representatives,' Gogoi said.
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