Vasundhara Raje

The Hon'ble Vasundhara Raje Scindia वसुंधरा राजे सिन्धिया
Raje in December 2014
22nd & 24th Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 December 2013 (2013-12-13)
Preceded by	Ashok Gehlot
In office 9 December 2003 (2003-12-09) – 10 December 2008 (2008-12-10)
Preceded by	Ashok Gehlot
Succeeded by	Ashok Gehlot
Personal details
Born	(1953-03-08) 8 March 1953 Mumbai
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Hemant Singh (1972-74)[1]
Parents	Vijayaraje Scindia
Relatives	Jivajirao Scindia (Father) Dushyant Singh (Son) Vijaya Raje Scindia (Mother) Hemant Singh (Husband) Madhavrao Scindia (Brother) Yashodhara Raje (Sister)
Residence	Dholpur
Alma mater	University of Mumbai
Religion	Hinduism
Website	www.vasundhararaje.in/en

Vasundhara Raje Scindia (born 8 March 1953), commonly referred to as Vasundhara Raje, is an Indian politician who has been Chief Minister of Rajasthan since 2013; previously she served in the same post from 2003 to 2008. She is the first female Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

Early life

Vasundhara Raje was born on 8 March 1953 in Mumbai. She is daughter of Vijayaraje Scindia and Jivajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior, members of the prominent Scindia royal Maratha family.^[2] She completed her school education from Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and later graduated with Economics and Political Science degrees (Hons.) from Sophia College, affiliated to Mumbai University, Mumbai.

Personal life

Vasundhara Raje married Hemant Singh, of the ex-royal Dholpur family, on 17 November 1972, but the couple 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, Industries Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the late Madhavrao Scindia, the late Padmavati Raje 'Akkasaheb' Burman (1942–64), who wed Kirit Deb Burman, last ruling Maharaja of Tripura, and Usha Raje Rana (b. 1943) who married into the Rana family of Nepal.

The top leaders of BJP Government

ModiGate

On 25 August 2011, Lalit Modi revealed that BJP leader Vasundhara Raje signed a document supporting Modi's application to the British authorities. The application had a secrecy clause that it should not be revealed to the Indian authorities. The application was never presented to the British authorities,^[5] In her affidavit, Raje had claimed that Modi was a victim of a "political witch hunt" by the then ruling Congress.^[6] Earlier, in 2013, a Jaipur-based lawyer Poonam Chand Bhandari had filed a public interest litigation in the Delhi high court. She had claimed that Lalit Modi had transferred millions of rupees to a company owned by Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh, using a shell company.^[7] Niyant Heritage Hotels Private Limited (NHHPL) is owned by Dushyant Singh, and his mother Vasundhara Raje holds 3,280 shares in the company.^[8] In 2008, Lalit Modi's company Anand Heritage Hotels Private Limited (AHHPL) provided an unsecured loan of ₹ 38 million to NHHPL. During 2008–09, AHHPL acquired 815 shares in NHHPL, paying ₹ 96,000 for each share, although the face value of each share was only ₹ 10. NHHPL, which previously had a paid up capital of ₹ 1 million, thus received a total of 116.3 million from AHHPL.^[9][10] In June 2015, the Congress accused Vasundhara Raje of corruption, alleging that she had granted favours to Lalit Modi in exchange for the money.^[11]

Aravalli hills mining scam

Ashok Gehlot was accused of granting mining lease in Rajasthan's part of Aravalli Hills to companies which were close to the congress. BJP issued a ‘Black Paper’ on graft under Ashok Gehlot’s government and alleged it to be a 3.4 lakh crore scam by Indian National Congress. After getting elected as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje's government justified the lease and argued against the cancellation of the lease. The same lease was earlier called to be against the Supreme Court orders by BJP, while she was in opposition. This raised questions about BJP's seriousness in eradicating corruption.^[12]

Posts held

Membership of Legislative Assembly

• 1985-90 Member, 8th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Dholpur
• 2003-08 Member, 12th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Jhalrapatan
• 2008-13, 13th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Jhalrapatan
• 2013 onwards Member 14th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Jhalrapatan

Membership of Parliament

• 1989-91 : Member, 9th Lok Sabha
• 1991-96 : Member, 10th Lok Sabha
• 1996-98 : Member, 11th Lok Sabha
• 1998-99 : Member, 12th Lok Sabha
• 1999-03 : Member, 13th Lok Sabha

Vasundhara Raje Scindia at the inauguration of Bhamashah Yojana in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

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 Tourism1996-97 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 Aug.. 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-
• 29 January 2003 – 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 November 2002 -
• 14 December 2003 – Present: 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 – Present: Chief Minister, Rajasthan

See also

• First Vasundhara Raje ministry
• Scindia

References

External links

• http://rajassembly.nic.in/precm.htm
• Profile of Vasundhara Raje
• Jyotiraditya Schindia