CM Rekha Gupta Pays Tribute to Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on 103rd Birth Anniversary
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta paid tribute to former Vice President and three-time Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on his 103rd birth anniversary, honouring his simple life, national service, and work for the poor and marginalised.
Key Takeaways
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's 103rd birth anniversary falls on 23 October 2026 .
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta paid public tribute on X, invoking the affectionate title 'Babosa.' Shekhawat served as Vice President of India from 2002 to 2007 and as Chief Minister of Rajasthan three times .
He was widely remembered for his simple lifestyle and focus on welfare of the poor and marginalised .
Annual commemorations on 23 October are observed by BJP units in Rajasthan and Delhi as a party tradition.
A leader who rose from Rajasthan's dust-track villages to the second-highest constitutional office in India — Bhairon Singh Shekhawat turns 103 in memory on 23 October 2026, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta marked the occasion with a heartfelt tribute on X, saluting his lifetime of service to the poor and the nation.
In her post, CM Gupta wrote — 'कोटि-कोटि नमन' (a million salutations) — honouring Shekhawat's 'simple life, dedication to national service, and work for the welfare of the poor and marginalised.' She addressed him as 'Babosa,' the affectionate title by which he was widely known across Rajasthan.
From Sikar's villages to the Vice President's House
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat served as Vice President of India from 2002 to 2007 under President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's era of government. Before that, he was one of the BJP's most consequential regional architects — serving as Chief Minister of Rajasthan three times, building the party's grassroots footprint in a state where it was once a minor force. His political identity was rooted in accessibility: a leader who kept no barriers between himself and ordinary citizens.
The nickname 'Babosa' — a term of reverence in Rajasthani culture, roughly meaning 'respected elder father' — stuck not as ceremony but as genuine affection. His frugal personal life and focus on rural welfare became a template that BJP leaders across generations have invoked.
Why BJP marks 23 October every year
Annual commemorations on 23 October have become a fixture for BJP units in Rajasthan and Delhi, with party workers, ministers, and elected representatives using the occasion to reaffirm the ideological thread connecting early party-builders to its current leadership. CM Gupta's tribute is part of that wider pattern — but the personal warmth of the address, invoking 'Babosa' rather than a formal title, signals the depth of regard within the party for Shekhawat's legacy.
For a generation of BJP leaders who came of age watching Shekhawat govern Rajasthan with spare resources and visible results, his birthday is less a ritual and more a reminder of what grassroots governance can look like. That memory, CM Gupta's post suggests, still has work to do.
Point of View
Service-oriented governance. Shekhawat's career — built in a pre-liberalisation Rajasthan with limited state resources — offers the party a useful ideological anchor distinct from urban developmentalism. The invocation of 'Babosa' rather than formal titles signals that this is as much about affective identity within the party as it is about historical record. For Delhi's BJP government, aligning itself with Shekhawat's legacy of welfare for the poor carries particular resonance in a city still defined by its large migrant and low-income population.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bhairon Singh Shekhawat?
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was a senior BJP leader who served as Vice President of India from 2002 to 2007 and as Chief Minister of Rajasthan three times. He was widely known by the affectionate nickname 'Babosa' for his simple lifestyle and commitment to the welfare of the poor.
Why is 23 October significant for BJP?
23 October is the birth anniversary of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, one of the BJP's most respected early leaders. BJP units in Rajasthan and Delhi observe annual commemorations on this date to honour his legacy.
What did Delhi CM Rekha Gupta say about Bhairon Singh Shekhawat?
CM Rekha Gupta paid tribute on X, offering 'koti-koti naman' (a million salutations) and honouring Shekhawat's simple life, dedication to national service, and work for the welfare of the poor and marginalised.
What does 'Babosa' mean?
'Babosa' is an affectionate Rajasthani honorific roughly meaning 'respected elder father.' It was widely used for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as a mark of deep public regard across Rajasthan.
How many times was Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Chief Minister of Rajasthan?
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat served as Chief Minister of Rajasthan three times, making him one of the longest-serving and most influential leaders in the state's political history.
