BJP may get its first woman president: Nirmala Sitharaman, D Purandeswari among likely picks
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is undergoing a significant organisational reshuffle. Following the recent appointments of state and Union territory unit chiefs, the focus has now shifted to selecting the party's next national president.
JP Nadda has held the top post since 2020. Although his term ended in 2023, it was extended until 2024 to lead the party through the Lok Sabha elections. With that phase complete, sources told Live Hindustan that the BJP is now likely to appoint its first-ever woman president.
Among the frontrunners is Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has been in charge of the ministry since 2019. Her Tamil Nadu roots could benefit the party’s southern outreach. She recently met with current president JP Nadda and BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh at the party headquarters, further fuelling speculation.
Another prominent name is D Purandeswari, former Andhra Pradesh BJP chief. She played a role in the government’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ delegation, which conveyed India's anti-terror stance in key European countries including the UK, France, and Germany.
Also in contention is Vanathi Srinivasan, former BJP Mahila Morcha national president. In 2021, she gained national attention by defeating actor and MNM founder Kamal Haasan in Coimbatore South. A party member since 1993, she joined the BJP’s Central Election Committee in 2022.
Sources suggest that the party is considering a woman candidate for the top post to consolidate support among women voters—a demographic where the BJP has made notable inroads in recent years. The move may also align with the BJP’s passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023, which guarantees 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
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UP Cong chief Ajay Rai hospitalised after fainting, stable
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was hospitalised here after he fell unconscious due to low sodium levels, party leaders said on Saturday.
They said he was admitted to Medanta Hospital on Friday evening and is stable.
"Ajay Rai was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow at around 6 pm on Friday after he fell unconscious as his sodium levels had dropped. He fell unconscious at his residence in Lucknow. For the entire day, he was engaged in party programmes and had also gone to the airport," Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI.
Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told PTI, "Now, he (Ajay Rai) is stable and I am also reaching Lucknow."
Medanta Hospital Director Dr Rakesh Kapoor told PTI that Rai collapsed at his home on Friday evening and was subsequently admitted to the hospital's emergency ward.
Medical examinations revealed that Rai was suffering from a sodium deficiency and elevated blood pressure. Doctors administered immediate treatment and he is doing significantly better now, Kapoor said.
A team of doctors is monitoring his health. Rai is conversing with others and his condition is stable, he added.
In a post on X late Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Rai a speedy recovery.
Rai hails from Varanasi and had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Modi from the parliamentary constituency. The Congress appointed him as the Uttar Pradesh unit chief in 2023.
