NEW DELHI : The BJP has fielded over 10 descendants of erstwhile royal families in the Lok Sabha elections, some of whom are making their political debut.
The BJP has picked ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy of the erstwhile Krishnanagar royal family to take on Mohua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress in the Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal. Moitra was expelled as an MP over the cash-for-query case, and is facing a CBI investigation in the case.
Amrita Roy, who is making her political debut, belongs to the 18th-century Raja Krishnachandra Roy’s family of Nadia. Roy has credited Raja Krishnachandra Roy with saving Sanatana Dharma and the Bengali language by siding with the British against Nawab Siraj-ud Daula during the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
As per available records, Krishnachandra Roy was a zamindar (landlord) and raja (king) from 1728 to 1782. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent telephonic conversation, lauded Amrita Roy’s commitment to fighting corruption and the royal family’s contributions towards social reforms.
“The BJP maintains equality with everyone, whether a film star or a simple worker or former queen and king. We have made many members of ‘shahi parivar’ party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections,” said a senior functionary of the BJP.
Five of the candidates from the former royal families are contesting polls for the first time. “Members of royal families participating in politics is not new in Indian politics. But what catches the attention this time is that the BJP has emerged as the first choice for a majority of them,” a party leader said.
The BJP has fielded Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore Lok Sabha seat, replacing incumbent MP Pratap Simha. It was on Simha’s visitor pass, some intruders had got access to the Parliament in December 2023.
Wadiyar’s maternal granduncle Srikantadatta Narsimharaja Wadiyar — who was elected on a Congress ticket from Mysore in 1984, 1989, 1996 and 1999 — died in 2013 without leaving an heir. Yaduveer was then adopted and declared the titular head of the erstwhile Mysore throne in 2015.
From the East Tripura Lok Sabha seat, the BJP has fielded Maharani Kriti Singh Debbarma, who hails from Manikya dynasty of Tripura, in place of incumbent MP Revati Verma.
In Odisha, the BJP has fielded Malavika Keshari Deo and Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, belonging to the erstwhile Kalahandi and Patnagarh-Bolangir princely states, respectively.
The BJP has also fielded Mahima Singh, married into the royal family of Mewar. She is contesting from Rajsamand Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan. In the desert state, the BJP has also fielded Dushyant Singh, son of former Rajasthan chief minister and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, a member of the erstwhile Scindia royal family of Gwalior. Dushyant is contesting from Jhalawar-Baran, from where he was elected as a BJP MP four times.
Preneet Kaur, now contesting from Patiala Lok Sabha seat on the BJP ticket, also belongs to the Patiala royal family, while Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, contesting from Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh now, is also the senior member of royal Gwalior family. He is also called ‘maharaja’ (king) of Gwalior and is contesting the general elections for the first time on the BJP ticket.
The party’s candidate from Guna in Madhya Pradesh is another Scindia dynast and a Congress-turned BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia. In 2019, Scindia, then contesting on a Congress ticket, had lost from Guna to a former aide who had crossed over to the BJP. He is currently a Rajya Sabha MP.
The BJP’s candidate from Patiala is Preneet Kaur, the wife of former chief minister Amarinder Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Patiala. “The BJP has fielded many others who owe direct or indirect lineage with several erstwhile royal families,” a party leader said.
Party emerges as first choice for royalty
Members of royal families participating in politics is not new in Indian politics. But what catches the attention this time is that the BJP has emerged as the first choice for a majority of them, said a leader.