Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat, who was announced to contest from Ramnagar Assembly Constituency initially, said 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon' slogan cannot be seen only in the constraints of an "election ticket" and him replacing Sandhya Dalakoti on Lalkuan assembly seat was the party's decision.
Notably, Congress had announced a change of seats of the party's campaign committee chairman Rawat and four other leaders in its third list of candidates that was followed by a rebellion of replaced candidate Sandhya Dalakoti. She was expelled from the party for 6 years following the incident.
Speaking toon Sunday on the validation of the 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon' slogan in Uttarakhand after a woman candidate was replaced by Rawat himself, he said, "You cannot dominate the decision of the party. 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon' slogan cannot be seen only in the constraints of tickets. It is a futuristic slogan that is for the empowerment of women. Just like Indira Gandhi had given the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao', that was not only for one day. It was for a change."
"Sandhya Dalakoti's cancellation of the ticket from Lalkuan assembly seat was the decision of the party. It was the party's decision to make me contest from here which I accepted," Rawat added.
The Congress leader further said that the 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon' slogan should not be seen only in the context of elections as it will be an injustice to those for whom it has been introduced.
"If somebody is looking at the slogan only in the context of a slogan, then it is an injustice to the slogan and also the one who the slogan is for. The one who gets upset on the battlefield, history does not remember them. The one who is with us in this battle is the only fighter, I would not like to comment on the rest," he said.
Hitting back at BJP candidate Mohan Singh Bisht for calling him an "outsider" in Lalkuan, the Congress leader said that the BJP is saying so out of frustration.
"I am being called an outsider in Lalkuan. In the last 55 years, I could not build a house for myself anywhere in Uttarakhand, but that does not mean that I am an outsider. It is their frustration because of which they are calling me an outsider. I live in the heart of Uttarakhand," he said.
Uttarakhand is slated to go to the Assembly polls tomorrow. The counting of the votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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