Press Club of India gets first woman president, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty’s team sweeps all office-bearers & MC

For the first time in the history of the Press Club of India (PCI), senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was elected as the club’s first woman president.

Pisharoty’s team swept all office-bearers and managing committee positions, scoring an emphatic 21-0, in the elections held on December 13.
She won decisively, securing 1,019 votes, while her rivals Atul Mishra and Arun Sharma received 129 and 89 votes respectively.

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For the Secretary-General’s post, Afzal Imam won, securing 948 votes, comfortably, while Gyan Prakash, polled 290 votes.

Jatin Gandhi emerged victorious as the vice-president candidate, who received 1,029 votes, defeating the next rival Prahlad Singh Rajput by a margin of over 900 votes.

Aditi Rajput (Treasurer) and PR Sunil (Joint Secretary) were elected unopposed.

The PCI’s chief election commissioner MMC Sharma and his team announced the result at the PCI lawns in the evening to a full house of journalists.

In the elections for the Managing Committee which constitutes of 16 members, 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 election reflects the collective confidence of the 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.

The outgoing President, Gautam Lahiri expressed gratitude to the members of the Press Club of India for their trust and support, and asserted that the new team will continue to make the Club more inclusive and responsive.

“The Press Club of India has, since its inception, served as a vital institution for journalists from across the country and abroad. The election of its first woman President stands as a powerful symbol of progress and a reaffirmation of the Club’s dedication to equality, diversity, and democratic values,” the outgoing secretary-general of the PCI, Neeraj Thakur said.