The Press Club of India made history, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty elected as first woman president

The Press Club of India (PCI) made history on Sunday by electing Sangita P. Bharadwah as its first woman president. The election is being seen as a significant milestone in the club's journey towards gender representation and inclusive leadership. The panel led by Bharadwah swept the elections held on December 13, winning all posts and managing committee seats with a resounding 21-0 victory.

Bharadwah won the president's post with a decisive margin, securing 1,019 votes, while her opponents, Atul Mishra and Arun Sharma, received 129 and 89 votes, respectively. Afzal Imam won the secretary general's post with 948 votes, defeating Gyan Prakash (290 votes) by a clear margin.

Jatin Gandhi won the vice president's post with 1,029 votes, defeating his closest rival, Prahlad Singh Rajput, by over 900 votes. Aditi Rajput and PR Sunil were elected unopposed as treasurer and joint secretary, respectively.

The results were announced by PCI's Chief Election Commissioner, MMC Sharma, and his team in the evening in the presence of a large number of journalists at the Press Club lawn.

In the 16-member managing committee elections, Neeraj Kumar topped the list with 932 votes, followed by Abhishek Kumar Singh (911), Jahnabi Sen (903), Ashok Kushak (892), Kalwal Bhattacharya (882), Praveen Jain (878), Agra Pratap Singh (865), Manoj Sharma (861), Nainima Basu (851), PB Suresh (838), VP Pandey (833), Prem Bhoukhande (831), Suneeta Bhora (829), Javed Akhtar (823), Rezaul Hasan Laskar (781), and Sunil Kumar (780).

After the results were announced, Bharadwah said the election was a collective endorsement of the vision and values of free, fair, and responsible journalism by the members of the Press Club of India. Former president Gautam Lahiri thanked the members and said the new team would continue to make the club more inclusive, sensitive, and effective in the face of changing challenges faced by journalists.

Outgoing secretary general Neeraj Thakur said the Press Club of India has been an important institution for journalists in the country and abroad since its inception, and the election of its first woman president is a strong symbol of progress and a reaffirmation of the club's commitment to equality, diversity, and democratic values.