Maya, Sonia among world's most powerful women

Mayawati, the Bahaujan Samaj Party chief and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, along with Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) are listed in the annul ranking of Forbes’100 most powerful women list.

Mayawati is indexed for the first time in the list at the 59th spot while Sonia Gandhi is placed at 21st.

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The other Indian who has made it to the list is chief executive officer of the food and beverage giant PepsiCo Indra Nooyi; at No 3 she is the highest ranked woman in business.

German Chancellor Angela Markel tops the list for the third time in the fifth annual ranking of Forbes. Among other famous public personalities Forbes includes Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Laura Bush.

About Sonia Gandhi, the magazine says that the Italian born leader heads India’s most powerful political party, the Indian National Congress. “Although she remains firmly at the head of the country's ruling party, a rising star, known by the single name Mayawati, is challenging Gandhi's position as the country's most powerful woman,” it added.

Mayawati as the head of India’s most populous state has been emerged as one of the powerful political figure with her Dalit stand. However, realizing that BSP in its old clout wouldn’t be able to make it to the all corners of the nation and all community, she won the assembly election by orchestrating her novice ‘social engineering’ formula by attracting electorates from upper castes and now planning to implement it across the country.

Forbes described her as the “running to be prime minister”. The magazine also mentioned about her alliance with upper caste Brahmins which has subsequently resulted in increasing her party’s national presence.