Chandigarh, May 28
The Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday appointed senior party leader and radiologist Dr. Archana Gupta as its new state president, making her the second woman to hold the post in more than four decades.
Gupta, who currently serves as the BJP state general secretary, succeeds former Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli. Veteran BJP leader Kamla Verma was the first woman president of the Haryana BJP, serving from 1980 to 1983.
The appointments for the BJP units in Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and Tripura were announced by BJP president Nitin Nabin through notifications issued by party national general secretary Arun Singh.
Speaking after her appointment, Gupta thanked the party leadership for entrusting her with the responsibility and said the BJP has consistently promoted women by providing equal opportunities across sectors.
She accused opposition parties, including Congress, of opposing measures related to women’s reservation in Parliament and claimed repeated attempts were made to block greater representation for women.
Gupta also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and former Haryana BJP chiefs Mohan Lal Badoli, Nayab Singh Saini, Om Prakash Dhankar, and Subhash Barala for strengthening the party organization in the state.
A gold medalist doctor by profession, Gupta completed her MBBS in 1990 and MD in radiology in 1994 from Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.
Before entering active politics, she served with the Vishva Hindu Parishad and later held several organizational positions in the BJP. She became the president of Panipat District Mahila Morcha in 2015 and later served as the BJP Panipat district president before being appointed state general secretary in January 2024. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Gupta on her appointment during his visit to Panipat and extended his best wishes for her new responsibility.
The appointment is being seen as a significant move by the BJP ahead of upcoming political engagements in Haryana, with the party placing renewed emphasis on women’s leadership and organizational strengthening in the state.
