Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: After Uma Bharti another Sadhvi gets cabinet berth

New Delhi, Nov 10: Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, a religious preacher who helped BJP make inroads among the Dalit and backward classes in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh was on Sunday sworn in as an Minister of State (Food Processing) in the Narendra Modi government.

She contested and won from the Fatehpur seat in UP and her candidature is widely acknowledged to have got the BJP the support of the Kashyap and Nishad communities in the state.

Born in 1967, Jyoti had unsuccessfully contested on a BJP ticket in the 2002 and 2007 Assembly elections before going on to secure a win in 2012. Sadhvi Niranjan was in the news in June this year after she managed to escape unhurt as an attempt was made on her life allegedly by three persons.

A first-time MP, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti belongs to the Nishad (boatman) community which is considered to be a major votebank in Uttar Pradesh. She is a protege of Swami Achyutanand and has studied up to Class XII.

It is being said that induction of Niranjan Jyoti as a minister of state took place keeping in mind the 2017 polls in UP. This will help BJP attract backward caste voters in the upcoming polls in the 2017.

She had won Hamirpur seat in Uttar Pradesh Assembly in 2012 and was first elected to the assembly in the same year.

According to her affidavit submitted to EC, she has immovable properties worth Rs 2.95 lakh and movable properties worth around Rs 23 lakh.

(With inputs from agencies)

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