India, May 9 -- West Bengal's first BJP government has just one woman in the cabinet currently - and that woman is 51-year-old BJP leader Agnimitra Paul, the former fashion designer-turned-politician who was sworn in as a minister alongside chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday.

Agnimitra Paul took oath with senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik, becoming the lone female face in the new Bengal cabinet.

Her elevation comes at a politically significant moment for the BJP, which has repeatedly projected itself as a champion of women's representation and has accused Opposition parties of delaying the implementation of 33% reservation for women in legislatures. Paul's inclusion in the cabinet ...