CM Bhajan Lal Sharma pays tribute to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on her birth anniversary
Synopsis
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma honoured Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on her birth anniversary on 12 October 2026, saluting her life of simplicity, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication to the nation as a co-founder of the BJP.
Key Takeaways
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma posted a Hindi tribute to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on her birth anniversary, 12 October 2026 .
He described her as 'an embodiment of sacrifice, dedication and national service' devoted entirely to Mother India.
Vijayaraje Scindia was born on 12 October 1919 as Maharani of the princely state of Gwalior .
She was a co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party and served multiple terms in Parliament.
She passed away in January 2001 , but her birth anniversary is observed as a key date in BJP political memory.
Her family legacy spans Indian politics — her grandson Jyotiraditya Scindia is a current BJP minister.
On her birth anniversary, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma paused to honour a woman who reshaped Indian politics from the inside — Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, a queen who traded royal privilege for grassroots service and became one of the BJP's most revered founding figures.
Posting on Monday, 12 October 2026, CM Sharma offered a heartfelt tribute in Hindi, describing Rajmata Scindia as 'tyag, samarpan aur rashtra-seva ki pratimoorti' — 'an embodiment of sacrifice, dedication and national service.' He added that her simple, principled life, devoted entirely to 'Maa Bharati' (Mother India), 'will remain forever venerable and inspiring for all of us.'
A queen who chose the people over the palace
Born on 12 October 1919 in the royal family of Scindia, Vijayaraje Scindia became the Maharani of the princely state of Gwalior. Yet she is remembered not for her regal lineage but for her decades-long commitment to politics in service of ordinary Indians. She was a co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party and served multiple terms in Parliament, becoming one of the most recognisable faces of the Hindu nationalist movement's democratic phase. Her plain living — often at odds with the grandeur expected of royalty — became as much a part of her public identity as her ideology.Her enduring place in BJP's founding memory
Rajmata Scindia occupies a near-mythic position in BJP lore. She was among the handful of leaders who stood firm through the party's lean years, nurturing it through electoral losses and political pressure. Her annual birth anniversary is observed across BJP-governed states as an occasion to reinforce the party's narrative of nationalist selflessness. For CM Sharma, paying tribute carries particular weight: Rajasthan sits at the heart of the political territory Rajmata Scindia helped cultivate for the BJP across northern India. The Rajmata's legacy also threads through her family — her son Madhavrao Scindia became a Congress stalwart, and her grandson Jyotiraditya Scindia ultimately returned to the BJP fold, an arc that spans the full spectrum of Indian political drama. Yet the BJP's claim on her memory remains undisputed. She passed away in January 2001, but her birth anniversary continues to be marked with the kind of reverence reserved for founding saints of a political tradition. CM Sharma's tribute is a reminder that in Indian politics, institutional memory — kept alive through annual rituals of respect — is itself a form of power.Point of View
Making her birth anniversary a ritual the party cannot afford to let pass quietly. For a CM still consolidating his position in Rajasthan, publicly aligning himself with a figure of her stature is also a subtle assertion of legitimacy. The family's complex political journey — from royalty to Congress to BJP — makes her legacy a story the BJP benefits from owning entirely.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia?
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia was the Maharani of the princely state of Gwalior, born on 12 October 1919 . She became a prominent political leader, co-founded the Bharatiya Janata Party, and served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament. She passed away in January 2001.
Why is Vijayaraje Scindia's birth anniversary significant for the BJP?
Vijayaraje Scindia is regarded as one of the founding pillars of the BJP. Her birth anniversary is observed across BJP-governed states as an occasion to honour her legacy of sacrifice, simplicity, and commitment to nationalist politics.
What did Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma say about Rajmata Scindia?
CM Sharma described her as 'an embodiment of sacrifice, dedication and national service,' and said her simple, principled life devoted to Mother India 'will remain forever venerable and inspiring for all of us.'
What is the connection between Vijayaraje Scindia and the Scindia family in current politics?
Vijayaraje Scindia's grandson Jyotiraditya Scindia is a current BJP leader and Union Minister. Her son, the late Madhavrao Scindia, had been a prominent Congress leader, giving the family a complex cross-party political lineage.
When did Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia pass away?
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia passed away in January 2001 , after decades of public life in Indian politics spanning the royalty era, the Congress, and the founding of the BJP.
