Expects a 10% jump in women voters in its favour.
New Delhi: The Congress party believes that its “ladki hun lad sakti hun” slogan has energised its cadre and will give it political dividends in the Uttar Pradesh elections. According to political observers watching UP elections closely, sloganeering is a fundamental part of Congress’ campaigns in 2022.
Sohil Akhtar Ansari, Congress MLA from Kanpur told The Sunday Guardian, :When the results come out, we are expecting around 10% jump in female voters for Congress. The reaction from women voters to our slogan has been very good. For the first time women are feeling that they will get participation in legislative activities and society building.”
However, as Priyanka Singh, assistant professor of political science in Uttar Pradesh said, “India has a patriarchal society, thus such slogans sound good, but in the end, unfortunately, rhetoric does not materialise in reality. There is a need on the part of the government as well as the common population to ensure that women are actually able to contribute in nation-building. Such slogans should not be used just for electoral purposes.”
Slogans have played an important role in getting the support of voters and one of the mor potent ones has come from the BJP, with “Modi haitohmumkinhai”. Another hit slogan has come from West Bengal, “khelahobe” (let the game begin) used by the Trinamool Congress targeting the BJP in the Assembly elections in the state.
Kuldeep Sharma, a senior UP-based journalist said, “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’ LadkiHun Lad Sakti Hun is popular among women voters in Uttar Pradesh. SP’s slogan ‘kaambolega’ reflects that Akhilesh Yadav wants to make people remember the work SP had done in his government. BJP’s ‘Beti bachao beti padao’ is not a new slogan in UP and the party has already gained a lot of political mileage from this slogan in the previous elections.”