How Smriti Irani went from anti-Modi voice to BJP's weapon against Rahul

Almost immediately after joining the BJP, Smriti Irani gave party leaders a good reason to rethink their decision by criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and demanding his resignation. “I expected that he (Modi) would take a high moral ground and say fine, I step down. It is high time that Gujarat and Vajpayee got their pride and glory back which they genuinely deserved…to prove once and for all that we are a secular party which thinks in the national interest, any step taken in that direction should be welcomed,” Irani had said in 2004 after innaugurating a jewellery shop in Surat. At the time party chief LK Advani was apprised of what the actor who played Tulsi in soap opera ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi  Kabhi Bahu Thi’ had said, but it was largely dismissed as a ‘publicity stunt’ by a political newbie. [caption id=“attachment_1460355” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Irani is said to be a close confidant of Modi. Reuters[/caption] Party leaders probed if she had done it merely to boost the show’s TRP ratings and even hinted at Congress leaders or dissidents in Gujarat having influenced her. Cut to ten years later, and the one time television star is now her party’s pick to take on the face of the Congress campaign in the upcoming general elections, showing that despite initial hiccups, Irani has, since 2004, risen to the higher echelons of the party and has the ear of the very man she criticised. Irani, who has been a Miss India contestant and reportedly even flipped burgers at a McDonalds at one time, was last year acknowledged as a member of Modi’s ‘inner circle’ despite not being a part of Gujarat politics. Trusted to take her leader’s voice to India Inc and the diplomatic establishment, some call her the ‘Sushma Swaraj of Modi’s campaign’ and forsee a major role for her if Modi should come to power, according to a Economic Times profile. Widely acknowledged as hard working and diligent, unlike other star candidates in the party, Irani has managed to earn the respect of the party’s leadership for her performance as a party spokesperson and a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. A spirited participant in debates about the safety of women and shouting down the treasury benches over various scams, Irani has managed to carve a niche for herself in the normally sedate upper house of Parliament. Just how much she had managed to get under the skin of Congress was evident when even the loud, but normally politically correct, Sanjay Nirupam lost his temper on a television debate and called her a thumkewali (dance girl) giving her a reason to drag him to court. When Manohar Parrikar swept to power in Goa, it was with Irani watching over the party’s campaign, and now by being given the Amethi seat, it confirms that her position in the party’s higher ranks is firmly cemented. Irani has already said that her only focus for the Amethi seat will be Rahul Gandhi and despite what odds he may give himself, not AAP’s Kumar Vishwas. “The people are aware of the fact that AAP, after their arrangement with Congress in Delhi, is the B-team of the Congress, for me the fight is with Rahul… AAP is just going to give Rahul a cushy fight,” she said.   It’s unlikely that Irani will unseat Rahul in a constituency that isn’t used to having anyone with a Gandhi in their surname, but she has little to worry about given she already has a Rajya Sabha seat. Given Sushma Swaraj’s sudden grumpiness over the party’s functioning and its choice of allies, Irani could well be in line for a ministerial post if the BJP wins and could have the last laugh over Rahul even if he wins Amethi.