New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Television actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani Thursday officially assumed charge as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) women’s cell chief at an event presided over by party president Nitin Gadkari.
“We will aim for the passage of the women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha under the guidance of our senior leader Sushma-ji,” Irani said. The bill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

Irani, who took over from Kiran Maheshwari, outlined her method - Sampark (contact), Samwad (conversation), Samrakshana (protection), Sangharsh (fight) and Sanghathan (organisation) - to progress.

In his speech, Gadkari said that with Irani as the cell’s new chief, the party would strive to attain 10 percent more share from the women voters.

“We need to expand our work for women’s rights to add more strength to the party and I am sure in 2014, the party will get support from more women voters,” he said.

Announcing a free hand for Irani, Gadkari said as an MBA graduate, he believed there should be an audit of the work done.

“She need not ask me or seek permission on what she wants to do. But work audit should prove her efforts,” he said.

Congratulating Irani, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said: “We were happy to hear her name as the chief of women’s cell.”

“She has many challenges ahead of her… I extend to her every possible support and will be at her beck and call to face the surplus of challenges ahead,” she added.