London, Nov 23 A Spanish conservative politician has come under fire for posing for December issue of Vanity Fair Espana.

Marma Dolores de Cospedal, Secretary General of the conservative opposition, the Popular Party, has been criticized for undermining the seriousness of her position by promoting sexist stereotypes of women.

The move has fuelled controversy surrounding female politicians who are lured by the limelight.

"There are more and more politicians who seemed to want their voice heard in fashion and society magazines and ... to become a model for a day," Times Online quoted Spanish daily La Razon as saying.

Reyes Montel, a left-wing member of Madrid's regional government, said: "I don't want to see the minister of health posing like Claudia Schiffer."

However, Cospedal seems unfazed by the controversy.

"There are always malicious people. This country is full of machos," she said.

Cospedal is not the only politician to have created such an uproar, Soraya Sainz de Santamarma, the PP parliamentary spokeswoman was also condemned for posing in a series of revealing pictures for the Spanish magazine Yo Dona (I Woman) earlier this year.

She wore a black, off-the-shoulder dress revealing ample amounts of thigh.

That photoshoot drew criticism from feminist groups. Jessica Fillol, from Red Feminista, wrote: "Soraya says, 'The interview I gave is personal to show unknown aspects of my personality.' What aspects? What her legs look like above the knee?"

The controversial pictures of Cospedal and Saenz have left party leader Mariano Rajoy embarrassed for he had also panned the participation of eight female members of Spain's Socialist Government - half the then cabinet - in a photoshoot for Vogue Espana in 2004. (ANI)