On the birth anniversary of former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat — revered as 'Baabosa' (beloved elder) across the state — Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat flew in from Delhi to Jodhpur on the morning of Friday, 23 October 2026, to personally offer floral tributes at a life-size statue of the late leader located at Raatanada.

Posting on X, the Union Minister described Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as 'an example of simplicity, good governance, and public service in Rajasthan's politics, and an inspiration for all of us.' The tribute was not a quiet, solitary gesture — it drew a broad cross-section of Rajasthan's BJP leadership to the Raatanada statue in a visible show of collective reverence.

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat: the statesman Rajasthan still leans on

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat served as Chief Minister of Rajasthan across three separate terms and went on to become the Vice President of India from 2002 to 2007. Known for his plain-spoken demeanour, grassroots connect, and emphasis on administrative efficiency, he remains one of the most cited BJP icons in Rajasthan — a figure whose name is routinely invoked when the party wants to ground itself in its own governance tradition.

His popular title 'Baabosa' — an affectionate Rajasthani honorific for a respected elder — speaks to the warmth ordinary voters felt for him, a quality the party continues to associate with its Rajasthan identity.

Jodhpur turns out in force for the anniversary

The ceremony at Raatanada was attended by a substantial gathering of elected representatives and party functionaries. Among those present were Rajasthan cabinet minister Jogaram Patel, former MP Rajendra Gehlot, Sursagar MLA Devendra Joshi, City MLA Atul Bhansali, rural unit president Tribhuvan Singh Bhati, and former vice-chancellor Professor Gulab Singh Chauhan, alongside BJP Jodhpur city office-bearers, district executive members, ward-level functionaries, councillors, and senior workers.

The breadth of the attendance — from state cabinet rank down to booth-level organisers — underlined how the anniversary doubles as a party mobilisation moment, stitching together local and national leadership around a shared legacy.

A ritual that runs deeper than ceremony

BJP leaders from Rajasthan have long used birth and death anniversaries of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to reinforce the party's self-image as a vehicle of sober governance and people-first service. For Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who holds the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat and has built his identity partly on continuity with Rajasthan's BJP tradition, the early-morning flight from the capital to be at the statue in person is a pointed statement — one that says the connection is not merely electoral.

As Rajasthan's BJP continues to consolidate after returning to power in the state, the invocation of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's legacy serves a dual purpose: honouring a genuine icon and signalling to the rank and file what kind of politics the party aspires to project.