BHARATIYA Janata Party leader Smriti Zubin Irani could “register” as the first real casualty in Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. True that she retained her cabinet rank in a recent ministerial re-jig, but being shunted from high-profile human resources development to the relatively less-important textiles ministry is clearly a demotion. What must be noted is that she faithfully carried out “saffron” instructions in terms of key appointments, curriculum changes etc, but Nagpur’s backing did not help her weather the storm she had provoked by her arrogant and insensitive handling of student unrest in Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

A possible signal is that even as authoritarian and ego-driven a figure as the prime minister is wary of confrontation beyond conventional battle lines. It is also evident that the BJP leadership in poll-headed UP was not overly-impressed by Irani’s projecting herself as an effective counter to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Else she would have not been so blatantly snubbed.

There will be as much gloating within the BJP ranks as in the opposition over her being sidelined. Initially a favourite granted more clout than she really merited, Smriti has paid a price for rubbing everyone — the media included — up the wrong way.

A lesson that cuts across party lines, is that “paratroopers” cannot take backing for granted, they are also required to establish themselves among their colleagues. And that success on the screen, big or small, does not automatically find reflection in real life.

There will be considerable speculation over whether Irani being cut to size is an indication of the prime minister attempting to reduce political tensions, particularly since she has been replaced by a more amicable personality in Prakash Javadekar. A similar inference could be drawn from the persons chosen to handle parliamentary affairs — M Venkaiah Naidu had been the proverbial bull in a china shop, who never stopped stressing the BJP’s Lok Sabha majority even as 44 Congress members kept the house de-railed. Not to mention his ignoring realities in the Rajya Sabha.

It does, however, remain unclear if Ananth Kumar and SS Ahluwalia, both said to be popular across the floor, will be able to chip away at the resistance to the GST bill upon which the government’s economic plans are critically dependent. As with almost all ministerial reshuffles the priorities are securing political favour rather than administrative efficiency.

Jayant Sinha would be wondering why he was dismissed from North Block: could the very open differences between his father — a former finance minister — and Modi have served as an accelerator? The Congress party’s ridiculing the re-jig is of little relevance: the Sonia-Manmohan combine had exhibited similar ineptitude.

The Statesman/India

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2016