New Delhi: The Press Club of India (PCI) on Sunday elected Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty as its first woman president, marking a historic milestone in the club’s journey toward greater gender representation and inclusive leadership. Pisharoty’s panel secured a clean sweep, winning all office-bearer and managing committee positions by an emphatic 21–0 margin in the elections held on December 13.
Pisharoty won decisively with 1,019 votes, while her rivals Atul Mishra and Arun Sharma received 129 and 89 votes, respectively. For the post of Secretary-General, Afzal Imam polled 948 votes, comfortably defeating Gyan Prakash, who secured 290 votes.
In the contest for Vice-President, Jatin Gandhi emerged victorious with 1,029 votes, defeating his nearest rival Prahlad Singh Rajput by over 900 votes. Aditi Rajput (Treasurer) and P. R. Sunil (Joint Secretary) were elected unopposed.
The results were announced in the evening by MMC Sharma, the PCI’s Chief Election Commissioner, and his team in the presence of a large gathering of journalists at the club lawns.
In the elections for the 16-member Managing Committee, the winners included:
Niraj Kumar (932 votes), Abhishek Kumar Singh (911), Jahanvi Sen (903), Ashok Kaushik (892), Kallol Bhattacharjee (882), Praveen Jain (878), Agraj Pratap Singh (865), Manoj Sharma (861), Nyanima Basu (851), P. B. Suresh (838), V. P. Pandey (833), Prem Bahukhandi (831), Sneha Bhura (829), Javed Akhtar (823), Rezaul Hasan Laskar (781), and Sunil Kumar (780).
“This election reflects the collective confidence of Press Club of India members in our panel’s vision and long-standing commitment to upholding the values of free, fair, and responsible journalism,” Pisharoty said after the results were announced.
Outgoing PCI President Gautam Lahiri thanked members for their continued trust and support, adding that the new team would strive to make the club more inclusive, responsive, and relevant to the challenges journalists face today.
Outgoing Secretary-General Neeraj Thakur described Pisharoty’s election as a “powerful symbol of progress,” reaffirming the club’s dedication to equality, diversity, and democratic values. “Since its inception, the Press Club of India has served as a vital institution for journalists across the country and abroad,” he said.
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