Vasundhara Raje | |
|---|---|
| 12th Chief Minister of Rajasthan | |
| In office 12 December 2013 – 16 December 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Ashok Gehlot |
| Succeeded by | Ashok Gehlot |
| In office 8 December 2003 – 11 December 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Ashok Gehlot |
| Succeeded by | Ashok Gehlot |
| Minister of State for External Affairs | |
| In office 19 March 1998 – 12 October 1999 | |
| Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 8 December 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Mohan Lal |
| Constituency | Jhalrapatan |
| In office 1985–1989 | |
| Constituency | Dholpur |
| Member of Parliament Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1989–2003 | |
| Preceded by | Jhujhar Singh |
| Succeeded by | Dushyant Singh |
| Constituency | Jhalawar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1953 Bombay, Bombay State (present day Mumbai, Maharashtra), India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Dushyant Singh |
| Relatives |
|
| Residence(s) | Dholpur, Rajasthan, India |
| Alma mater | University of Mumbai |
| Website | http://vasundhararaje.in/ |
Vasundhara Raje Scindia (born 8 March 1953) is an Indian politician, who has held two terms as the chief minister of Rajasthan. She was previously a minister in the Union Cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and was India's first Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. She is currently one of the national vice presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A member of the Scindia family, she is also the matriarch of the Bamraulia family of Dholpur.
Vasundhara Raje singh was born on 8 March 1953 in Bombay (now Mumbai). She is the daughter of Vijayaraje Scindia-Shinde and Jivajirao Scindia-Shinde, Maharaja of Gwalior, members of the prominent Scindia royal Maratha family.[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 Dholpur family, on 17 November 1972, but they separated a year later.[3] Her son, 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 a four-time member of Parliament through Loksabha and the Yuvraj of Dholpur.
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 2007, she received the "Women Together Award" from the UNO for services rendered towards the self-empowerment of women.[12]
In 2018, she received the 'Best Chief Minister of the Year' Award at the 52nd Skoch Summit.[13]
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.[14]
