Nirmala Sitharaman: One of BJP's most persuasive voices

Defence minister in the previous NDA government, Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday took oath as a Cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government.

Before being elevated as the Defence minister, Sitharaman served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs in the Modi government. She was also Minister for Commerce and Industry with independent charge.

A post-graduate in Economics, Sitharaman earlier served as a national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is still remembered as one of its most articulate spokespersons, who fiercely attacked the Congress government over its various policies.

Now a seasoned politician, Sitharaman counts travel, trekking, music and cooking among her hobbies.IANS