Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty elected first woman President of Press Club of India

The Press Club of India (PCI) has elected senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty as the club's first woman president. The election, held on December 13, is being considered a historic and significant achievement for the PCI.

In the presidential election, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty secured a landslide victory, securing 1,019 votes. Her opponents, Atul Mishra, received 129 votes, and Arun Sharma 89. Pisharoty's panel performed resoundingly well, winning all the office bearers and managing committee seats, securing a clean sweep of 21-0.

Afzal Imam won the General Secretary's post, securing 948 votes and defeating Gyan Prakash (290). Jatin Gandhi secured 1,029 votes for the Vice President's post, defeating his nearest rival, Prahlad Singh Rajput, by a margin of over 900 votes. Aditi Rajput was elected Treasurer and P.R. Sunil was elected Joint Secretary unopposed.

Neeraj Kumar topped the election for the 16-member Managing Committee of the Press Club of India with 932 votes. He was followed by Abhishek Kumar Singh (911), Jahanvi Sen (903), Ashok Kaushik (892), Kallol Bhattacharya (882), Praveen Jain (878), Agraj Pratap Singh (865), Manoj Sharma (861), Nyanima Basu (851), PB Suresh (838), VP Pandey (833), Prem Bahukhandi (831), Sneha Bhura (829), Javed Akhtar (823), Rezaul Hasan Laskar (781) and Sunil Kumar (780).

The election results were announced by PCI Chief Election Officer MMC Sharma and his team on Sunday evening in the presence of a large number of journalists on the lawn of the Press Club.

After the results were announced, newly elected President Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty said that this victory reflects the confidence of the Press Club members in the thinking of her panel and its long-term commitment to the values ​​of independent, fair and responsible journalism.

Outgoing PCI President Gautam Lahiri expressed his gratitude to the club members and said that he was confident that the new team would make the Press Club more inclusive, responsive and in tune with the challenges of the times.

Outgoing General Secretary Neeraj Thakur said that the Press Club of India has always been an important institution for journalists, both domestically and abroad. The election of the club's first female president not only marks progress but also demonstrates the PCI's commitment to equality, diversity, and democratic values.