CHANDIGARH, June 4 -- Archana Gupta, a radiologist by profession and a grass-roots worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formally took over on Wednesday as Haryana BJP's second woman president in over four decades, in a ceremony attended by a large number of party workers and frontline leaders from across the state. The presence of the party's top brass at Gupta's installation ceremony at Panchkamal--a sprawling state headquarters of the BJP in Panchkula---is being widely seen as a carefully crafted show of unity, continuity and a smooth leadership transition in Haryana, a state known for deeply patriarchal society, a severely skewed sex ratio and infamous for killing the unborn girl child in the womb. The BJP workers, including women, came in hordes to witness what party leaders say is a "tectonic shift" in BJP's strategy to spread its base in Haryana with an eye on women voters. One of the flagship schemes of the state government to woo women electorate is Lado Lakshmi Yojna under which eligible women are given Rs 2,100 per month as assistance. But disorder prevailed inside as well as outside the venue that was filled well beyond capacity. Cabinet minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, who was conducting the proceedings, had a tough time persuading male party workers to vacate reserved seats they were occupying and let women supporters sit as the women were struggling to find a safe place to witness the ceremony. It was after numerous rounds of pleadings and warnings from Bedi that the party male workers vacated the seats on front rows otherwise reserved for ministers and MLAs. Finally, the majority of the women supporters, who were standing, were also accommodated even as the two-hour-long ceremony was marked by slogans raised in praise of the party and new BJP chief throughout the programme. "Haryana is known as man's land where our party has appointed a woman as president. This can happen only in the BJP," Satish Poonia, party affairs in-charge, said in a speech laced with wit and sarcasm, calling upon the party rank and file to strengthen the party under the leadership of "grass-roots worker" Gupta. As the ruling BJP, which has been firmly holding the levers of power in Haryana continuously since October 2014, plans to further consolidate its footprint now under the leadership of a woman president, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini led the show of unity and strength from the front and assured the new incumbent that he will do all that is required to help Gupta in her new and challenging role. "The BJP is poised to achieve new heights under the leadership of Archana Gupta, who is a second woman president of our party in Haryana after Kamla Verma in 43 years," Saini said in his welcome address, urging party workers to follow advise and instructions of new president in letter and spirit and further strengthen the party. "It is only in the BJP that an ordinary worker is also rewarded with top responsibilities. That is why the BJP is called a party of workers. I want to assure my new president that we will do all that is needed to strengthen her hands and further expand the base of the party under her leadership." Saini said that Gupta's elevation was testament of BJP's core ideology where opportunities are granted not on the basis of lineage but on the basis of capability and commitment. He said a woman has been given the responsibility of serving as state president of the BJP for the second time in 43 years. "This is a moment of pride for the mothers, sisters and daughters of Haryana as it reflects a change where women are now assuming leadership roles. This transformation reflects the vision of new India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Saini said. Before being appointed as state party chief, Gupta, 58, was general secretary of the BJP in Haryana. Flanked by Saini and outgoing state chief Mohan Lal Badoli, who had been at the helm since July 2024, Gupta was accorded a rousing reception on her arrival. In her maiden address as state BJP chief, Gupta recalled what she learnt from the top brass of the party sitting on the dais and said that her first major task will be to make the BJP unbeatable in 42 assembly segments and five Lok Sabha seats where the party had suffered defeat in 2024 lok sabha and assembly elections. She said the BJP rewards a worker who works with honesty and dedication and advised the workers not to feel disappointed if not given any post in the organisation. "Be proud of being a BJP worker and don't feel let down in case the party is unable to give you any post or position in the government," she said, adding that the BJP is a very big party and accommodating everyone is not possible as posts are limited. "Please do not think that you have been ignored or sidelined as posts are very limited. We must remember that it is a matter of pride to be a worker of the BJP," she said, assuring that she will always be with the party's foot soldiers. Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, Haryana Cabinet ministers, a large number of BJP MLAs, all Rajya Sabha MPs of the party from Haryana, former BJP president OP Dhankar, national BJP vice-president Saudan Singh, functionaries of various frontal organisations were among the host of BJP leaders present on the occasion....