By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) general secretary in charge Meghalaya Poonam Rani Wangkhen on Sunday expressed confidence that the Congress would secure absolute majority in the upcoming 2013 Assembly election in the State.
“The Mahila Congress would give their heart and soul to ensure the victory of the party in the upcoming elections,” Wangkhen said during an informal interaction with media person here on Sunday.
Wangkhen admitted that the infighting among the party leaders in the State is an area of concern, but added that problem of infighting is prevalent in all political parties.
Wangkhen said that the members of the Mahila Congress would act as a ‘catalyst’ to see that all the senior party leaders put in joint efforts for the success of the party in the upcoming election.
To a query on how many women candidates would be contesting the Assembly election on Congress tickets, Wangkhen said she would like to see all the 11 women candidates getting the party tickets to contest in the election.
‘But I know that it is next to impossible that all the 11 women ticket aspirants are issued tickets since some of them are up against sitting legislators,” she said, while adding that at least three to four women ticket aspirants are sure to get the party tickets. She, however, said that the Mahila Congress would lay emphasis on implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women in the allotment of the party tickets as far as possible.
“We all know that the Congress-led UPA Government had proposed this 33 per cent reservation quota. We would, therefore, like to see that the party adopts this policy while allotting tickets in the State,” Wangkhen said.
“Our male counterparts would not vote for the Women Reservation Bill. It is the women themselves who would have to votes to see this bill becomes a reality,” she said.
When asked if the recommendations of the Mahila Congress would be given any weightage during allotment of party tickets in the State, Wangkhen said that the party high command gives due weightage to the recommendations made by the AIMC.
“But the final call on the allotment of the tickets would be taken by the party leadership after taking into considerations all the pertinent factors,” she said.