Vasundhara Raje (born 8 March 1953) is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a national vice-president of the party. She was the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan, holding the office from 2003 to 2008 and again from 2013 to 2018. She belongs to the Scindia family, the former rulers of Gwalior, and married into the royal family of Dholpur.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Vasundhara Raje Scindia |
| Born | 8 March 1953, Bombay (now Mumbai), India |
| Age | 73 |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Office | Chief Minister of Rajasthan (2003–2008, 2013–2018) |
| Constituency | Jhalrapatan (Rajasthan assembly) |
| Education | Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal; Sophia College, Mumbai (economics and political science) |
| Parents | Jivajirao Scindia, Vijaya Raje Scindia |
| Children | 1 (Dushyant Singh) |
Early Life
Raje is the fourth child of Jivajirao Scindia, the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior, and Vijaya Raje Scindia, a founder of the BJP. Her brother was the Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, and Jyotiraditya Scindia is her nephew. In 1972 she married Hemant Singh, the titular Maharaja of Dholpur; they separated within a year. Their son, Dushyant Singh, has been MP for Jhalawar-Baran since 2004.
Political Career
She entered the Rajasthan assembly from Dholpur in 1985 and won the Jhalawar Lok Sabha seat five times in a row from 1989. In Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s government she was Minister of State for External Affairs and later held independent charge of Small Scale Industries and other departments.
Sent to lead the party in Rajasthan, she toured the state on a “Parivartan Yatra” and won a clear majority in December 2003. Her first term brought new investment and tourism but ended after violent agitations by the Gujjar community over reservations. In 2013 she won 163 of 200 seats, the BJP’s best result in the state. Her second government launched the Bhamashah scheme, which opened bank accounts in the names of women as heads of households, and labour law reforms. The BJP lost in 2018. When the party returned to power in December 2023 it chose Bhajan Lal Sharma as Chief Minister.
Personal Life
Raje lives in Jaipur and Dholpur. She is known for promoting Rajasthan’s handicrafts and heritage, including the revival of traditional textiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Vasundhara Raje born?
Vasundhara Raje was born on 8 March 1953 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India and is 73 years old.
Featured image: Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, speaks at the National Development Council meeting, New Delhi, 9 December 2006. Photo by Planning Commission, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
