royal families of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to contest in upcoming polls

Royalty may have been abolished in independent India, but the scions of former princely families continue to rule in their region via the political route.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two big states going to polls in the November-December, have over a dozen former princes and princesses representing their erstwhile states as legislators and members of Parliament.

Maharani DivyaThe latest to take plunge in party politics is 42-year-old princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur who joined the BJP at the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally in the state capital on September 10. Diya inherits the legacy of her glamorous grandmother queen Gayatri Devi, one of the founders of the Swatantra Party that tried to challenge the political monopoly of the Congress during the 60s and early 70s. Rajmata Gayatri Devi represented the Jaipur Lok Sabha constituency thrice at a stretch between 1962 and 1971. If or not Diya would be able to earn people's trust like her grandmother would be known only after she contests either the Assembly elections or the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Jaipur that has a considerable number of Rajput voters.
Dushyant SinghFormer royals in Rajasthan, meanwhile, seem to have made a place for themselves in the political set up of the state. The phenomenal rise of Vasundhara Raje - the scion of the Gwalior royals from Madhya Pradesh who was married into the princely family of Dholpur in Rajasthan - in the BJP was a turning point in terms of ex-royals' role in state politics. She led the BJP to its firstever absolute majority in the Assembly in 2003. She was the first chief minister having an exroyal background.

With the Congress losing its strong anti-feudal stance it displayed during the initial decades after Independence, the scions of former princely families find themselves as comfortable in the party as they were in the erstwhile Swatantra Party or are in the BJP.

Scion of Bharatpur's ex-royal Vishvendra Singh and his wife Divya shifted their loyalty from BJP to Congress in the last assembly elections. Yet another royalty to join the Congress was Chandresh Kumari, scion of ex-Jodhpur royals, who won the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and become a Union minister. Kota's erstwhile prince Ijyaraj Singh won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2009. The adjoining Lok Sabha constituency of Jhalawar is represented by Vasundhara's son Dushyant Singh since 2003 when the seat fell vacant following his mother becoming the chief minister of the state.

MP royals

Madhya Pradesh's political history would be incomplete without the mention of its ex-royal leaders. To begin with, the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior - the Scindias - has been dominating the political landscape of the region since generations. They have won as candidates of national parties, as Independents, and even when they floated a regional outfit.
Jyotiraditya ScindiaSo strong is the hold of the Scindias that while Yashodhara Raje Scindia is a BJP MP from Gwalior Lok Sabha seat, her nephew Jyotiraditya Scindia is a Congress MP from Guna.

Another parliamentary constituency where inheritors of erstwhile principality continue to hold their grip is Raghogarh Lok Sabha seat. The former royals from Raghogarh princely state are Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and his younger brother Laxman Singh. Jaivardhan Singh, the son of Digvijaya, has also joined the Congress.

Priyavrat Singh, a Congress MLA, belongs to a royal family of Khilchipur while Kunwar Vikram Nati Raja, Maharaja of Chhattarpur, is an MLA from Rajnagar seat. Dhruv Narayan Singh, a BJP MLA representing Bhopal Central seat, is a member of Rampur Baghelan family.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/biggies-from-royal-famililies-of-rajasthan-and-madhya-pradesh-to-contest-in-upcoming-polls/1/316645.html

Indian Young Royals

We all know who the young and hot royals around the world are but are hardly aware of the number ofyoung royals that our country boasts of.

India has always been known as a country rich in heritage and culture, and the descendents of the erstwhile royal families are doing their best to preserve these. While these royals are extremely dashing and magnetic, they also command respect for their blue-blooded lineage. Forget the Williams and the Harrys; here are the young royals of India.

Manvendra Singh Gohil

Age: 46

From the Royal House of: Rajpipla

Known as the first and, perhaps, only ‘gay Prince’ Manvendra Singh Gohil’s sexuality has been more talked about than his family legacy. He belongs to the royal family of the princely state of Rajpipla and his predecessors were Maharaja Vijaysinhji and Maharana Shri Raghubir Singhji Rajendrasinghji Sahib. Today he plans to adopt a child in order to keep his family heritage alive.

Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia

Age: 40

From the Royal House of: Gwalior

Jyotiraditya Scindia is a member of the Scindia Maratha clan that ruled Gwalior in the 17th and 18th centuries. His grandfather Jivaji Rao Scindia was the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior. Jyotiraditya was handed down the King’s turban in 2001 after his father died in a plane crash.

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar

Age: 26

From the Royal House of: Udaipur

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar is one of the direct descendants of the legendary Maharana Pratap Singh. The Prince exudes great maturity at such a young age and is responsible for a number of the family’s undertakings. The suave Prince has a passion for photography and gardening and apparent all his leisure time perfecting his skills in these arts.

Jaivardhan Singh

Age: 27

From the Royal House of: Raghogarh

Jaivardhan Singh was born into the royal principality of Raghogarh belonging to the Rajput clan. The young scion is following his father’s footsteps and beginning an active career in politics. He is being seen as a rival to Jyotiraditya Scindia since Jaivardhan belongs to the Guna district which has always been the stronghold of the Scindias.

Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman

Age: 33

From the Royal House of: Tripura

Considered to be quite an eligible bachelor, Maharaja Pradyut Deb Barman hails from the royal lineage of the Manikya dynasty. His grandfather Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman was one of the last rulers of the princely states to accede their throne to the Union of India. Being the current head of the royal family, Pradyut has brought in a lot of development in his state. He is also the Chairman and Editor of a popular local magazine ‘The Northeast Today’.

Devraj Singh

Age: 30

From the Royal House of: Jaipur

Devraj Singh, the Raja of Isarda, is one of the only two surviving descendants of the famed Maharani Gayatri Devi. Despite his dashing looks and warm personality, he does not match to his stylish grandmother. For him, simplicity is the key to a happy life. However, he is presently embroiled in a legal battle with his other relative regarding him being the actual claimant of his grandmother’s fortune.

Aarkesh Singh Deo

Age: 25

From the Royal House of: Bolangir

Aarkesh Singh Deo belongs to Orissa’s Bolangir district which is considered to be the richest in terms of heritage. His grandfather, Maharaja Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo was the first Maharaja who became the Chief Minister of Orissa. This young royal is, however, one with a difference. He pursued modeling as a hobby and was quite successful at it. He even studied acting in New York and dabbled with theatre in Mumbai.

Shivraj Singh

Age: 36

From the Royal House of: Jodhpur

Shivraj Singh is the son of the erstwhile Maharaja Gaj Singh. Stiking good looks and a passion for polo made him a known face everywhere. The Prince manages the family’s hotel group which is spread all over the city. He got married last year to Gayatri Kumari Pal, belonging to the royal family of Askot. It was one of the grandest weddings that the country had seen in recent times and was the talk of the town for quite a long time.