Vasundhara Raje

Vasundhara Raje Scindia was born on 8 March 1953 in Bombay (now Mumbai). She is the daughter of Vijayaraje Scindia, Maharani and later Rajmata of Gwalior and Jiwajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior, members of the prominent Scindia Dynasty.^[1]

Raje completed her school education at Presentation Convent School in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and later graduated with economics and political science degrees from the Sophia College for Women, Mumbai.^[2]

She married Maharaj Rana Hemant Singh, of the royal family of Dholpur on 17 November 1972, but they separated a year later.^[3] Her son, Kunwar Dushyant Singh, was elected to the Lok Sabha from her former constituency, Jhalawar.^[4] Her siblings are Yashodhara Raje Scindia, a former industries minister of Madhya Pradesh, the late Madhavrao Scindia, the late Padmavati Raje "Akkasaheb" Burman (1942–64), who married Kirit Deb Burman, the last ruling Maharaja of Tripura, and Usha Raje Rana (b. 1943) who married into the Rana family of Nepal.

She has one son Dushyant Singh, who is a four-time member of Parliament through Loksabha and the Yuvraj of Dholpur.

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

In 1984, Raje entered the Indian political system. Initially, she was made a member of the national executive of the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party. She was also elected as a member of the 8th Rajasthan Assembly from Dholpur. In the same year, she was appointed vice president of the Yuva Morcha, Rajasthan BJP.^[5] In 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Raje had helped save his government in 2020 by opposing the BJP’s attempts to bribe MLAs. Hours later, she dismissed the chief minister’s statement as a lie and conspiracy against her.^[6] In 2023, she lost her chief minister post from newly elected- MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma, which prevented from her becoming chief minister for third time.

Positions held

• 1985-87: vice-president, Yuva Morcha BJP, Rajasthan
• 1987: vice-president, BJP, Rajasthan
• 1990-91: member, Library Committee, member, Consultative Committee, Ministries of Commerce and Tourism
• 1991-96: member, Consultative Committees, Ministries of Power, Science and Technology, Environment and Tourism
• 1996-97: member, Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, Member, Consultative Committees, Ministries of Power, Science and Technology and Tourism
• 1997-1998: joint secretary, BJP Parliamentary Party
• 1998-99: Union minister of state, External Affairs
• 13 October 1999 – 31 August 2001: Union minister of state (Independent Charge), Small Scale Industries and Agro & Rural Industries; Department of Personnel and Training; Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space
• 1 September 2001 – 1 November 2001: Union minister of state, Small Scale Industries; Personnel, Training, Pensions, Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances; Department of Atomic Energy; and Department of Space (Independent charge)
• 2 November 2001- 8 December 2003: Union minister of state, Small Scale Industries; Personnel, Training, Pensions, Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances; Planning; Department of Atomic Energy; and Department of Space (Independent Charge)
• 14 Nov 2002-14 Dec 2003 : president, BJP, Rajasthan
• 8 December 2003 – 8 December 2008: chief minister, Rajasthan
• 2 January 2009 – 8 December 2013: leader of opposition, Rajasthan legislative assembly
• 8 December 2013 – 11 December 2018: chief minister, Rajasthan
• 11 January 2019: national vice president of Bharatiya Janata Party

Member of parliament

• 1989-91: member, 9th Lok Sabha, from Jhalawar.^[7]
• 1991-96: member, 10th Lok Sabha
• 1996-98: member, 11th Lok Sabha
• 1998-99: member, 12th Lok Sabha
• 1999-2003: member, 13th Lok Sabha

More information Year, Constituency ...

Lok Sabha

Year	Constituency		Party	Votes	%	Opponent		Party	Opponent votes	%	Margin	Margin in %	Result
1989	Jhalawar		BJP	304,728	60.96	Shiv Narain		INC	1,58,187	31.64	1,46,541	29.32%	Won
1991				245,956	58.72	Man singh			1,54,796	36.96	91,160	21.76%	Won
1996				234,360	49.89				1,85,476	39.48	48,884	10.41%	Won
1998				333,746	52.77	Bharat Singh			2,70,179	42.72	63,567	10.05%	Won
1999				409,574	60.43	Dr. Abrar Ahmed			257,159	37.94	152,415	22.49%	Won

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Member of legislative assembly

• 1985-90 member, 8th Rajasthan legislative assembly from Dholpur.^[7]
• 2003-08 member, 12th Rajasthan legislative assembly from Jhalrapatan
• 2008–13, 13th Rajasthan legislative assembly from Jhalrapatan
• 2013–18, member, 14th Rajasthan legislative assembly ^[8] from Jhalrapatan
• 2018–23, member, 15th Rajasthan legislative assembly from Jhalrapatan
• 2023-28, member,16th Rajasthan legislative assembly from Jhalrapatan.

More information Year, Constiuency ...

Rajasthan Legislative Assembly

Year	Constiuency		Party	Votes	%	Opponent		Party	Opponent Votes	%	Margin	Margin in %	Result
1985	Dholpur		BJP	49,174	62.51	Banwari Lal		INC	26,494	33.68	22,680	28.83%	Won
2003	Jhalrapatan			72,760	59.20	Rama Pilot			45,385	36.92	27,375	22.28%	Won
2008				81,593	56.59	Mohan Lal			49,012	33.99	32,581	22.59%	Won
2013				114,384	63.14	Meenakshi Chandrawat			53,488	29.53	60,896	33.61%	Won
2018				116,484	54.14	Manvendra Singh Jasol			81,504	37.88	34,980	16.26%	Won
2023				138,831	59.51	Ramlal Chouhan			85,638	36.71	53,193	22.8%	Won

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• Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra^[9]
• Vasundhara Raje, Bhamashah Yojana^[10]
• Satyam Kumar and Vasundhara Raje, iStart Rajasthan^[11]
• Vasundhara Raje, Jal Swavlamban^[12]
• See More Schemes of Vasundhara Raje^[13]

In 2007, she received the "Women Together Award" from the UNO for services rendered towards the self-empowerment of women.^[14]

In 2018, she received the 'Best Chief Minister of the Year' Award at the 52nd Skoch Summit.^[15]

A book on the life of Vasundhara Raje named Vasundhara Raje aur Vikasit Rajasthan was written by the historian Vijay Nahar and published by Prabhat Prakashan.^[16]

• Politics of Rajasthan
• Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
• 16th Rajasthan Assembly
• Bhajan Lal Sharma ministry
• List of chief ministers of Rajasthan
• List of governors of Rajasthan
• List of speakers of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly