Giant killer Smriti Irani was on Friday named Women and Child Development Minister and gets to retain textiles in signals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewarding her for defeating Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.
Irani started off as HRD Minister in the first tenure of the NDA Government, but was stripped of the charge to be shifted as Information and Broadcasting Minister.
She was eventually shifted out of the I&B also and sent as the Textiles Minister.
WCD will be Irani’s fourth sector allocation under PM Modi after HRD, Information and Broadcasting and Textiles.
Irani succeeds outgoing WCD Maneka Gandhi, who is the senior-most member of the Lok Sabha and will be protem Speaker who will administer the oath of office to new MPs once the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha starts.
Irani is expected to join work today.