The BJP MP from Fatehpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti may not be a modern woman but being a sadhvi and hailing from a backward caste Sunday earned her a berth in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi cabinet.
A 'nishad' by birth, she was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Hamirpur constituency in 2012.
Known to be a fighter, she wears saffron robes, sports a big tilak on her forehead and is known for her speeches laced with Hindu scriptures and hymns. The 47-year-old won from the Fatehpur constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
She fits the firebrand brand of politics that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad espouse and her caste is an added advantage, party sources told IANS.
She can work among the backward class in the run up for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 2017, party leaders feel.