New Delhi,(Ishan Times):In a landmark development for Indian journalism, senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was on Sunday elected as the first woman President of the Press Club of India (PCI), marking a historic step toward inclusive leadership and gender representation in one of the country’s most influential media institutions.
The elections, held on December 13, witnessed an overwhelming mandate in favor of Pisharoty’s panel, which secured a clean sweep of all 21 positions, including office-bearers and Managing Committee seats.
Pisharoty won the presidential race decisively, polling 1,019 votes, while her nearest rivals Atul Mishra and Arun Sharma received 129 and 89 votes, respectively.
For the post of Secretary-General, Afzal Imam registered a comprehensive victory with 948 votes, defeating Gyan Prakash, who polled 290 votes.
Jatin Gandhi was elected Vice-President with 1,029 votes, winning by a margin of over 900 votes.
Meanwhile, Aditi Rajput (Treasurer) and PR Sunil (Joint Secretary) were elected unopposed.
Managing Committee Results
In the elections for the 16-member Managing Committee, Niraj Kumar topped the list with 932 votes, followed by 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), PB Suresh (838), VP Pandey (833), Prem Bahukhandi (831), Sneha Bhura (829), Javed Akhtar (823), Rezaul Hasan Laskar (781), and Sunil Kumar (780).
The results were formally announced at the PCI lawns by Chief Election Commissioner MMC Sharma in the presence of a large gathering of journalists.
Reacting to the outcome, Pisharoty said the verdict reflected the members’ collective confidence in the panel’s vision to uphold the values of free, fair, and responsible journalism.
Outgoing PCI President Gautam Lahiri and former Secretary-General Neeraj Thakur welcomed the outcome, calling the election of the first woman President a strong reaffirmation of PCI’s commitment to equality, diversity, and democratic ideals.