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From BJP spokesperson to finance minister, the rise of Nirmala Sitharaman

Known as a no-nonsense minister, the Rajya Sabha member's political graph is steep

nirmala sitharaman, ramnath kovind
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Nirmala Sitharaman during swearing in ceremony at New Delhi | Photo: PTI

Arup Roychoudhury New Delhi
There are many videos of Parliamentary debates on YouTube. One of the most watched, with 2.2 million views, is that of Nirmala Sitharaman defending the Narendra Modi government on the Rafale deal allegations earlier this year in the Winter Session of Parliament.

“In this House, I was called a liar, the Prime Minister was called a thief. The remarks may have been expunged, but I clearly heard it,” said Sitharaman, defence minister in the previous government. “I don’t have a khandaan to boast of. I come from an ordinary background. I come from a middle class family. I come with