Jaipur, Oct 19 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday welcomed the Congress' decision to field 40 per cent women candidates in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, saying women empowerment has been the party's most important agenda.

Alleging that women are unsafe under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Gehlot said that the Congress will end the saffron party's misrule in the state.

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Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra announced that the party will give 40 per cent tickets to women, who constitute roughly half of the electorate, for the UP Assembly polls.

She said that the decision is aimed at making women full-fledged partners in power.

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"Priyanka Gandhi's announcement of giving 40 per cent tickets to women in Uttar Pradesh (Assembly polls) is a welcome step. The Congress party has given a woman president and prime minister to the country, but the BJP has not been able to make a woman even the president of its party till date," Gehlot said in a tweet.

"Women empowerment has been the most important agenda of the Congress party. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been striving for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament.

"Due to the anti-women thinking of the BJP, women are unsafe in Uttar Pradesh today but the Congress will end this misrule of the BJP by empowering women," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will be held early next year.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)