Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti taking oath as a Minister of State today (Rashtrapati Bhawan)
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, who was sworn in as Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the Narendra Modi-led government, is a leader who helped BJP make inroads among the Dalit and backward classes in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
She contested and won from the Fatehpur parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh and her candidature is widely acknowledged to have got the BJP the support of the Kashyap and Nishad communities.
Born in 1967, Ms Jyoti had unsuccessfully contested on a BJP ticket in the 2002 and 2007 Assembly elections before going on to secure a win in 2012.
Ms Jyoti 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 people.
She was the only woman among the 21 members inducted into the council of ministers today. With her induction, the total number of women in the council has gone to eight.