Vasundhara Raje

Despite the former CM Raje remaining the BJP’s most popular face in the state, the first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma is the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. His name was announced after the newly-elected BJP MLAs met in Jaipur on December 12, where the 56-year-old was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party.

Raje has an uneasy relationship with the high command, which denied her supporters’ demand to project her as the CM face, and a clear win will mean it won’t be under any obligation to humour her.

Raje held the chief ministerial position in Rajasthan since December 2013 when her party won 163 of the 200 Assembly seats. Previously, she had held the same position back in 2003 when she also became the first-ever woman chief minister of the state.

Born in the royal family of Gwalior, Raje is the daughter of the Rajmata of Gwalior Vijaya Raje Scindia, a heavyweight in India’s political history. Being a member of the Scindia family meant both royalty and politics were part and parcel of Raje’s growing up years.

After completing her education from Mumbai, she married Maharaj Rana Hemant Singh of the Dholpur royal family of Rajasthan in 1972.

In 1984, Raje joined the BJP and was made a member of the National Executive of the party which was then just four years old. The following year, she won the Dholpur Assembly seat. In 1987, she became vice-president of the BJP in Rajasthan and in 1997 she became joint-secretary of the party.

In 1989, she made her debut as a Lok Sabha member and continued to retain the seat till 2003 when she was made the chief minister of Rajasthan. Between 2003 and 2018, Raje has continued to remain the face of the BJP in the state.