Shekhawat pays condolences at Bhati family home in Bikaner
Synopsis
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited Hada village in Bikaner to personally condole former Rajasthan minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati on the passing of his father, ex-Kolayat Pradhan Rughnath Singh Bhati, in a cross-party gesture of solidarity.
Key Takeaways
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat personally visited Hada village, Bikaner to condole the Bhati family.
The deceased, Rughnath Singh Bhati , was the former Pradhan of Kolayat and father of former Rajasthan minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati .
Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader, extended condolences to a family associated with the Congress party, reflecting cross-party norms.
The minister prayed for the departed soul and for the family's strength, closing his post with the invocation Om Shanti .
Kolayat constituency in Bikaner district has a long political association with the Bhati family.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat travelled to Hada village, Bikaner, to personally offer condolences at the residence of former Rajasthan minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati, following the passing of Bhati's father, Rughnath Singh Bhati — former Pradhan of Kolayat.
Posting on Wednesday, October 14, Shekhawat wrote that he visited the family home the previous day to pay his respects and expressed his deepest condolences to the grieving family. He prayed that God grant the departed soul a place at His feet, and that the bereaved family be given strength to bear this immense grief — closing with the Sanskrit invocation Om Shanti.
Rughnath Singh Bhati — a figure rooted in Kolayat
Rughnath Singh Bhati was a well-known public figure in the Bikaner region, having served as Pradhan of Kolayat — a tehsil and assembly constituency in western Rajasthan with a long political association with the Bhati family. His son, Bhanwar Singh Bhati, is a former state minister and legislator from Kolayat, associated with the Congress party.A cross-party gesture in Rajasthan's political culture
Shekhawat's visit — crossing party lines from the ruling BJP at the Centre to offer condolences to a family affiliated with the Congress — reflects a well-established norm in Indian political life, and particularly in Rajasthan, where the two parties have alternated in government and where personal relationships between political families often transcend electoral competition. The minister's presence at the family home in Hada village underscores the enduring tradition of senior leaders maintaining cross-party ties through moments of personal loss — a practice as old as democratic politics in the state.Point of View
Especially in Rajasthan, retains space for cross-party human solidarity even amid sharp electoral rivalry. Such gestures by senior central ministers carry symbolic weight beyond the personal — they signal to local communities that governance relationships can coexist with partisan competition. In a state that has seen alternating BJP-Congress governments, these ties serve a practical political function as much as a humane one. The visit adds no policy dimension, but it is a telling data point in the social fabric of Rajasthan's political class.
NationPress
14 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rughnath Singh Bhati?
Rughnath Singh Bhati was the former Pradhan of Kolayat in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, and the father of former state minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati .
Why did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visit Hada village in Bikaner?
Shekhawat visited Hada village, Bikaner to personally offer condolences to the family of former Rajasthan minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati following the death of his father, Rughnath Singh Bhati .
Who is Bhanwar Singh Bhati?
Bhanwar Singh Bhati is a former Rajasthan state minister and legislator associated with the Congress party, representing the Kolayat assembly constituency in Bikaner district.
What is Kolayat known for in Rajasthan politics?
Kolayat is a tehsil and assembly constituency in Bikaner district , western Rajasthan, with a long political association with the Bhati family and significance in state politics.
Is Shekhawat from Rajasthan?
Yes, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan , currently serving as Union Minister of Culture and Tourism.
