5 min readChandigarhMay 28, 2026 05:57 PM IST First published on: May 28, 2026 at 05:57 PM ISTAiming to mobilise wider women’s support, the BJP has appointed Dr Archana Gupta, a radiologist, as president of its Haryana unit. Gupta is only the second woman chosen to lead the BJP’s unit in Haryana, a state often criticised for its patriarchal society and low sex ratio. The first woman to hold this position was Dr Kamla Verma, who served from 1980 to 1983. After a gap of 43 years, the party has once again entrusted its state leadership to a woman.With the elections of party organisation up to the district units already completed, the appointment of a new state president was due, even as the tenure of outgoing president Mohan Lal Badoli — who belongs to the Brahmin community — lasted just under two years against the normal tenure of three years. Badoli, a one-term MLA from Sonipat district’s Rai, rose through the RSS ranks to become the state party chief ahead of the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls, in which the BJP secured a record third-consecutive term.AdvertisementExpressing gratitude to the party leadership for “reposing faith in a woman karyakarta”, Gupta said she would work for women’s empowerment and ensure greater participation of women in politics and the economy. She also pledged to further strengthen the party organisation by taking all workers along. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Gupta on her elevation and, in a symbolic gesture of celebration, offered her laddoos.Reacting to Gupta’s appointment, Haryana Power Minister and senior BJP leader Anil Vij said, “Archana Gupta is an active worker, and with her becoming president, wheels will be set in motion in the Haryana BJP. The appointment of a woman as state president is a good thing, and after quite some time, a woman has again been given the command. Earlier, former Yamunanagar MLA and Health Minister Kamla Verma had once become the state president. Now once again, a woman has been given the opportunity.”Before her elevation, Gupta was serving as a general secretary of the Haryana BJP. Born in Samalkha, Panipat, in 1968, she was the first woman in her family to pursue higher education and become a doctor. She completed her MD in radiology from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, in 1994, earning distinction as a gold medalist.AdvertisementAlongside her medical practice in Panipat, Gupta’s parallel journey in social service through the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) marked the beginning of her public leadership. Between 2010 and 2016, she rose through the ranks of the VHP, serving as district co‑convener, convener, and eventually state vice‑president. Her political career began with the BJP Mahila Morcha and she later became Panipat district BJP president in 2020 — the first woman to hold that position. In 2023, she was elevated to state BJP general secretary. Since 2019, she has actively campaigned for party candidates in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, according to party leaders.With her appointment, the BJP seeks not only to expand women’s participation in its organisational setup but also to strengthen its presence in urban areas.In Haryana’s caste‑centric politics, the move is also seen as an effort to consolidate support within the influential Agarwal (Baniya) community. Sonipat Mayor and president of the Haryana Pradesh Vaishya Mahasammelan, Rajiv Jain, said the community has traditionally supported the BJP, and Gupta’s appointment will further reinforce its confidence in the party’s policies. He also noted that Gupta’s elevation comes at a time when the BJP is promoting women’s participation in politics, following the passage of the Women’s Reservation Act in 2023 to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.With Gupta’s appointment, the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency has further emerged as a significant power centre in Haryana. Gupta’s native Panipat falls within the Karnal Parliamentary seat, represented by Union Minister and former CM Manohar Lal Khattar. Two state Cabinet ministers — Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat Rural) and Krishan Lal Panwar (Israna) — also hail from Assembly constituencies within this parliamentary area, as does recently elected Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia.you may likeGupta has been a staunch supporter of the policies of the Saini‑led BJP government in Haryana. She has praised the government for introducing the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, launched in September 2025, which provides Rs 2,100 per month to eligible women aged 23-60 years from families with annual incomes up to Rs 1.8 lakh.She has also highlighted other initiatives, including the commitment to create 3 lakh “lakhpati didis”, the Pink Cab scheme that trains women as drivers and offers interest‑free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to purchase taxis, and a Rs 5-crore fund to ensure workplace safety.Gupta is married to Anil Gupta, an ophthalmologist, with whom she has two children.