I love Smriti Irani. She hasn't been sidelined

You can love her, you can hate her but you cannot ignore her.

Smriti Irani's stint as the HRD minister has been a turbulent one. But her fall from grace has left even some of the most veteran political pundits stumped.

For those who have been living under a rock for the past year and may not know who Smriti Irani is, other than being one the most controversial Cabinet ministers in Team Modi, Irani is well known for her way with words and her powerful oratory. (Who can ever forget her aggressive defence on the floors of the Lok Sabha during the JNU/Rohith Vemula row?)

I, for one, find Smriti's career chart in politics amazing as well as inspiring.

She only joined formal politics and the BJP in 2003 and in a little over a decade she became a member of the inner circle - Modi's Cabinet.

Within a year of joining the BJP, she had climbed its ladder to become the vice-president of the Maharashtra Youth Wing and had taken on Congress veteran Kapil Sibal in the 2004 general elections.

Also read - The underlying misogyny in watching Smriti Irani lose HRD ministry

Of course, she lost, but the ambition and the drive shone through even back then.

Now, Irani's journey from text to textiles is being seen by most as Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally reacting to the controversial minister, but Irani and Modi have been at loggerheads before.

Irani, after the loss of the 2004 Lok Sabha election seat, had openly criticised then Gujarat CM Modi for the loss and demanded his resignation. The only thing that had then made her take down the battle gear was an immediate intervention from the party.

Over the years, Smriti's opinion has of course been "Modi-fied".

Many believe that as Smriti became more and more involved in the RSS, she became close to Modi and came to truly believe in his vision of change driven by growth and development.

Smirti Irani's reaction to all the controversy is why I will always love the gall of the lady. Irani tried to dodge the controversy around her demotion by raising Modi's development flag high; assuring that she will ensure to do all for textile just as HRD ministry.

But when pressured by the media to react to those calling this her "great fall", Irani made cheeky comments: "Kuch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hain kahena."

While to some this might seem like a diplomatic response, Smriti's self-assured smile for me carried a message more interesting than the words themselves.

Modi's second rejig comes months before the crucial Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat elections.

The biggest shake-up in Modi's government in the two-year term has clear political connotations.

I am not denying the fact that new regime has factored in performance of senior ministers (and I am all for it) but this change now leaves the Modi Cabinet bloated to just two short of the limit at 80, the same as his predecessor Manmohan Singh's Cabinet at the end of its second stint.

Uttar Pradesh now has 16 ministers in Team Modi and Smriti is now free to help further the BJP's campaign in the election-bound state.

Smriti, who had been introduced as the "chhoti behen" by Narendra Modi, seems to be on track to counter on Congress' latest bid to capture some votes in the state. The reshuffle has come days after prominent leaders in the Congress praised Priyanka Gandhi's role in the party.

Also read - Why HRD ministry was snatched away from Smriti Irani

I am already gearing up for the Priyanka versus Smriti battle in UP. The political corridors are abuzz with speculation that Smriti has been freed so that she can take a more active and prominent role in the upcoming state elections and in fact the new budget of Rs 6,000 crore, textile ministry seems like a good launching pad for Irani to announce some key policies for garment workers as well as others such as cotton farmers reeling under drought.

In fact, from what I hear, sources have also said that about ten crore job opportunities can be made available in the textile industry, especially for the rural and handloom sectors which will appeal to the key demographic in the state.

But whether the road ahead for Smriti is one of great joy or if she has been sidelined only time will tell. Though one thing is for sure, the road for this outspoken and controversial minister of the BJP is long and the opportunities infinite.

I shall be watching closely for the Smriti Irani's next move as, I am sure, will be the rest of the country.