Television actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani has finally caught the attention of the BJP high command. After being deprived a Rajya Sabha nomination, she has been made chief of the BJP’s women wing.
In addition, the party has ensured that Smriti’s nomination as women’s wing chief further enhanced her status in the organisation. She will now automatically become member of the BJP’s Central Election Committee that was reconstituted on Tuesday.
Smriti’s nomination holds significance as the BJP has been facing flak for not nominating any of its prominent women members, including Hema Malini and Najma Heptullah, for the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections despite being a strong votary of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
After being elected to Lok Sabha, Anurag Thakur, son of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, has found himself catapulted as head of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the party’s youth wing.
Apart from his entry into Lok Sabha, Anurag had been in the limelight as cricket administrator. He played an instrumental role in the construction of a cricket stadium at Dharamsala where IPL matches were held.
BJP’s hardcore Hindutva face Vinay Katiyar has been dropped from the Central Election Committee. The firebrand leader had of late been openly expressing his views on the party’s functioning.
Tribal leader and former Union minister Jual Oram has also been dropped from the committee.
Despite ill health, former prime minister and party patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name still prominently figures in the list. Other members on the list include LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Venkaiah Naidu, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Kalraj Mishra, Vasundhara Raje, Gopinath Munde, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, Vijay Goel and Ananth Kumar. Kumar has been appointed secretary of the committee.
In addition, a five-member disciplinary committee has also been constituted. Headed by former Delhi BJP chief OP Kohli, it includes former UP speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi, Balram Das Tandon, O Rajagopal and Mridula Sinha.
