Scions from former royal families are increasingly featuring on the BJP’s list of candidates as the Lok Sabha elections approach. Ten descendants have secured tickets from the party, showcasing this trend across various regions. Notable among them are Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore, Mahima Kumari Vishwaraj Singh Mewar from Rajsamand, and Kriti Singh Debbarma from Tripura East.
The ruling BJP has become the preferred political choice for scions of former royal lineages ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with ten of these descendants receiving tickets from the party.
Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, representing the former royal dynasty of Mysore, stands out, especially considering his grandfather Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar’s previous association with the Congress party. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar served as a Congress MP for four terms until 1999 before withdrawing from politics after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. Now, the family seeks a return to the political forefront through Yaduveer.
Mahima Kumari Vishwaraj Singh Mewar, from Rajsamand, a stronghold of the Rajput community, is another significant candidate. She is married to Vishwaraj Singh, a former member of the Mewar royal family who joined the BJP and contested from Nathdwara in the assembly elections.
Kriti Singh Debbarma, nominated by the BJP from Tripura East, hails from Tripura’s Manikya royal family and is the elder sister of Pradyot Debbarma, the leader of the Tipra Motha Party, which recently joined the NDA government in the state. Kriti’s husband, Yogeshwar Raj Singh, belongs to the Kawardha Raj dynasty.
In Odisha, Malavika Keshari Deo, the wife of former BJD MP Arka Keshari Deo and a member of the Kalahandi royalty, has been fielded by the BJP after the couple switched to the party in 2023.
Rajmata Amrita Roy, a descendant of the erstwhile royals of Krishnanagar, is contesting from Krishnanagar in West Bengal against Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra.
Additionally, former Lok Sabha members are now contesting on BJP tickets. Preneet Kaur, a former Congress MP from Patiala, will now represent the BJP after her husband, Captain Amarinder Singh, switched allegiance to the Congress.
Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, belonging to the Gwalior royal house, is already a member of the BJP and will contest from Guna for the first time as a BJP candidate.
In Odisha, the BJP has retained Bolangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, a member of the Patnagarh-Bolangir royalty. Also, three-time Jhalawar-Baran MP and BJP leader Dushyant Singh, a member of the Dholpur royalty, is once again in the electoral fray.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Udyanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is set to contest from Satara in Maharashtra on a BJP ticket. Bhosale won the seat in 2019 on an NCP ticket before joining the BJP, and though he lost the by-poll, he has been nominated for the Rajya Sabha.
