CM Vishnu Deo Sai Pays Tribute to BJP Founder Vijayaraje Scindia
Synopsis
On her 107th birth anniversary, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai honoured Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia — a founding member of the BJP — calling her the embodiment of service, dedication, and struggle whose legacy continues to inspire party workers nationwide.
Key Takeaways
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia on her birth anniversary, 12 October 2026 .
Vijayaraje Scindia, born 12 October 1919 , was a founding member of the BJP when the party was established in 1980 .
She was previously a prominent leader of the Jana Sangh , the BJP's ideological predecessor.
CM Sai described her as the 'embodiment of service, dedication, and struggle' and noted her courageous leadership and organisational commitment.
She represented Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh across multiple Lok Sabha terms and passed away on 25 January 2001 .
The BJP annually observes her birth anniversary as a reaffirmation of the party's founding values and grassroots ethos.
She embodied service, sacrifice, and struggle — and on her birth anniversary, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid his deepest respects to Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, a founding pillar of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on 12 October 2026.
Posting on X, CM Sai described Vijayaraje Scindia as 'seva, samarpan aur sangharsh ki pratimoorti' — 'the very embodiment of service, dedication, and struggle.' He offered his deepest salutations on her birth anniversary, underscoring how her contribution to Indian politics, national service, courageous leadership, and organisational commitment will remain forever memorable.
The Rajmata Who Shaped a Party
Vijayaraje Scindia, born 12 October 1919, was the Maharani of the Gwalior royal house and one of the most consequential women in post-independence Indian politics. She was a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party when it was established in 1980, having earlier been a key figure in the Jana Sangh — the BJP's ideological predecessor. Her decision to align with the Hindutva-nationalist political current, at a time when the Congress held overwhelming dominance, was a defining act of political courage that helped legitimise and expand the right-of-centre space in India.
Affectionately known as Rajmata — 'Queen Mother' — she won multiple terms to the Lok Sabha from Guna in Madhya Pradesh and remained a towering grassroots mobiliser. Her ability to connect with ordinary voters, despite her royal lineage, made her a model for the BJP's cadre-based organisational culture. She passed away on 25 January 2001, the eve of Republic Day.
A Legacy That Still Drives BJP's Cadre
CM Sai noted that Vijayaraje Scindia's life continues to inspire 'BJP ke asankhya karyakartaon aur rashtra-sevakon' — the party's countless workers and national servants — to remain dedicated to public service and national interest. That framing is deliberate: the BJP consistently invokes her memory as a bridge between its founding idealism and its present electoral machinery.
Her legacy is particularly resonant in Madhya Pradesh and the broader central Indian heartland, where her decades of ground-level work built durable political networks. Within the BJP, she is revered alongside other founding figures as a symbol of ideological steadfastness and personal sacrifice.
Every year on 12 October, senior party leaders across the country mark the occasion — a ritual that doubles as an internal reaffirmation of the party's foundational values. CM Sai's tribute this year stands in that tradition, carrying fresh weight from a sitting chief minister of a state the BJP governs.
Point of View
A tribal leader governing a state the BJP recaptured in 2023, invoking Rajmata's legacy reinforces a message of ideological continuity from the party's earliest days. The tribute also signals that the BJP's ideological identity — rooted in cadre discipline and national service — remains central even as the party governs an expanding number of states. Rajmata Scindia's Gwalior-centric legacy continues to shape the political culture of central India, a region critical to BJP's electoral arithmetic.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia?
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, born on 12 October 1919, was the Maharani of the Gwalior royal house and a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. She was a veteran of the Jana Sangh, a prolific parliamentarian from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, and one of the most influential women in post-independence Indian politics. She passed away on 25 January 2001.
Why did CM Vishnu Deo Sai pay tribute to Vijayaraje Scindia?
CM Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute on her birth anniversary, 12 October, as is customary for BJP leaders. He described her as the embodiment of service, dedication, and struggle, and highlighted her lasting inspiration to BJP workers and national servants.
Was Vijayaraje Scindia a founding member of the BJP?
Yes, Vijayaraje Scindia was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party when it was established in 1980. She had earlier been a key figure in the Jana Sangh, the BJP's ideological predecessor.
When is Vijayaraje Scindia's birth anniversary?
Vijayaraje Scindia's birth anniversary falls on 12 October. She was born on 12 October 1919.
What is Vijayaraje Scindia's connection to Madhya Pradesh?
Vijayaraje Scindia was the Maharani of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and represented the Guna constituency in the Lok Sabha across multiple terms. Her decades of grassroots work in the state built enduring political networks that continue to influence central Indian politics.
