Vasundhara Raje and 8 other stylish female politicians who believe in power dressing

From Congress President Sonia Gandhi to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, women are standing shoulder to shoulder when it comes to calling the shots in politics. But their fiery quotes and mike drops aside, these female politicians are also a pro at power dressing. Before any of you yell objectification, we’re not. We’re just pointing out how their professional lives are complemented perfectly by their wardrobe.

From Sushma Swaraj to Vasundhara Raje, there are several female politicians whose understated yet elegant style you would do well to emulate.

1. Smriti Irani
Smriti Irani is the Textiles Minister and also holds an additional charge of Information and Broadcasting in the Narendra Modi government. The actor-turned politician started her career as a model. She played the famous role of the ‘Tulsi Virani’ in Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2003.

Well known as an eloquent speaker of the party, Irani’s combative style has often landed her in the middle of controversies. Her fashion sense in the vibrant coloured sarees make her look a class apart in Parliament too.

2. Hema Malini 

Hema Malini made a transition into politics in 2004. However, her first tryst with political campaigning was when she supported BJP candidate Vinod Khanna during the 1999 elections. She is currently a member of Lok Sabha from Mathura.

The actor-turned politician made her debut in the film industry in 1963 with a Tamil film ‘Ithu Sathiyam’ and went on to act in numerous films in the Hindi film industry. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Hema Malini still takes out to time to do her shows and performances at several events. In Parliament as well as at various political or social events, Hema Malini’s elegant dressing style in sarees and well as suits would want anyone borrow a thing or two from her wardrobe.

3. Vasundhara Raje 
A BJP leader, Vasundhara Raje is the current Chief Minister of Rajasthan. She was born into the royal family of Gwalior on March 8, 1953. A graduate in Economics and Political Science (Hons.) from Sophia College Raje came into politics after she got married to the former ruler of Dholpur, Maharaja Hemant Singh. However, she was associated with social causes since her early days.  She was the Rajasthan’s first women chief minister and is a very strong politician.

She served in the same post from 2003 to 2008. She is the first female Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Apart from her oratory skills, she also makes heads turn with her designer sarees, her hand bags and jewellery, and her style.

4. Sonia Gandhi
Born in Italy, Sonia Gandhi is the president of Indian National Congress since 1998. She had to enter politics after her husband Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. With an initial reluctance where she did not want to join politics, she took charge of the Congress in 1997 on the insistence of senior party leaders.

Being the backbone of the Congress, she also has a key persona in terms of her style.  In 2012, she met the NIFT students of Rae Bareli and said that the simplicity of her elegance was admired the world over. She also gave fashion tips to students.

5. Sushma Swaraj

Fondly known as the Supermom, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has a huge following. There have been numerous cases where she has gone out of the way to help people in need, in India and abroad. She has also shown her witty side in many of her tweets making her one of the most loved politicians on the social media platform.

Born on 14 February 1952 in Ambala, Haryana, Sushma has been elected as a Member of Parliament seven times and 3 times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. An advocate by profession, she took a jump into politics with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in 1970s. In 2004, she was honoured with the “Outstanding Parliamentarian Award”, the first woman MP in India to be given that award. Over the years, she has made the matching jackets with her sarees her trademark style.

Also Read: Why ‘Supermom’ Sushma Swaraj is India’s favourite minister in Modi government

6. Brinda Karat

One of the strongest women in communist politics, Brinda Karat joined politics on former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu’s persuasion. She joined the CPM’s women’s wing AIDWA as her first stint in politics and was also the first woman to be elected to the CPM Politburo.

Not just in India, she is also well known for abroad for her style of politics. Apart from being the voracious speaker that she is, she has never failed to leave a mark through her style of bindis to her cotton sarees or ethnic jewellery too.

7. Nirmala Sitharaman

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman is a key leader in the Narendra Modi government. Born on August 18, 1959 in Madurai, she did her Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She also worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse in London.

She played a key role in speaking on women empowerment as a member of the National Commission for Women. She joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in 2008 and became a member of the National Executive. A confident leader who knows what she is advocating for, Nirmala’s elegant style and eloquence makes sure people hear her out.

8. Agatha Sangma 
In Meghalaya where many women are not empowered to call the shots even in their homes, Agatha Sangma has made a mark for herself in the politics of the country. She became the first woman member from Meghalaya to have been elected to the Lok Sabha. She first won in May 2008 from her father’s seat of Tura in Meghalaya. She got the taste of victory for the second time in the 2009 General Election after which she even became a minister in the UPA government.

With a degree in environmental management, she aims to motivate more women to join politics and participate in administrative roles to get them more prominence in the area. From donning suits to skirts and shirts, Agatha reaches out to people in simplest yet most fashionable manner.

9. Shaina NC 
A high-profile fashion designer and well-known socialite, Shaina NC is one of the key leaders from the BJP you often see advocating the party during television discussions. She was made the president of the newly created Health and Cultural Cell of the BJP in 2004.

Often referred to as the Queen of Drapes she holds a Guinness Book of World Record for draping the fastest saree. She also owns one of the oldest boutiques of Mumbai. Her dressing sense and fashion trends can give competition to a number of Bollywood celebs.

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