Diya Kumari

Last updated

Narendra Singh
​
(div. 2018)​
Diya Kumari
The Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shrimathi Diya Kumari & her colleague meet VP of India with their head.jpg
Kumari in 2023
6th Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 December 2023
Servingwith Prem Chand Bairwa
Relations Kachhwaha Family
Children3, including Padmanabh Singh
Parent(s) Bhawani Singh
Padmini Devi
Residence City Palace, Jaipur
Alma mater

Diya Kumari (born 30 January 1971) is an Indian politician from Bharatiya Janata Party currently serving as the 6th Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan alongside Prem Chand Bairwa in the ministry of Bhajan Lal Sharma. [1] She currently represents Vidhyadhar Nagar as an MLA in the 16th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. She is a member of Kachhwaha family of the Jaipur State.

Contents

She was a member of Lok Sabha from Rajsamand parliamentary seat between 2019 and 2023. [2]

Kumari is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur during the British Raj in India.

Early life and education

Kumari was born on 30 January 1971 in Jaipur to Bhawani Singh, a decorated Indian Army officer and hotelier, and Padmini Devi. [3] [4] [5] She is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur during the British Raj. [6]

Kumari attended Modern School (New Delhi), G.D. Somani Memorial School, Mumbai and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' Public School, Jaipur. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Fine Art (Decorative Painting) educated at Chelsea School of Arts, London in 1989 and a Hon. Doctorate in Philosophy from Amity University, Jaipur. [2] [7] [4] [8]

She is believed to be a billionaire [4] as she manages several properties, businesses, trusts and schools, including City Palace, Jaipur, which is also her residence; Jaigarh Fort, Amber and two trusts: Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, Jaipur and the Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust; two schools: The Palace School and Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School; and three hotels: Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur, Hotel Jaipur House at Mount Abu and Hotel Lal Mahal Palace, Jaipur. [9]

Political career

The Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shrimathi Diya Kumari & her colleague meet vice president of India with their head in 2023 The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma and deputies meet VP of India.jpg
The Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shrimathi Diya Kumari & her colleague meet vice president of India with their head in 2023

Kumari's late father and former titular king of Jaipur, Bhawani Singh, had contested the 1989 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Jaipur, but was defeated by the BJP candidate. [10]

Kumari's step grandmother and former queen of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi, had been elected as an MP from the Jaipur constituency three times in 1962, 1967 and 1971. She had won these polls by record margins on the Swatantra Party ticket. [10]

Kumari joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 10 September 2013 before a crowd of two-lakh people, in the presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, BJP president Rajnath Singh and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, at a rally in Jaipur. [11] She contested the 2013 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election as a BJP candidate from Sawai Madhopur, and became MLA. [12] However, she did not contest the 2018 elections which the BJP ended up losing. [10] In 2019 she was elected as a Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha from Rajsamand. [13] She secured 858,000 votes and her victory margin of 551,000 votes is considered amongst the top 20 biggest margins of victory in 2019. [14] [15]

She was appointed Brand Ambassador, Save the Girl Child, Government of Rajasthan. [2]

She is currently the BJP MLA from Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency in 2023 Rajasthan polls instead of sitting five-term MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi. [16] [17] [18]

Since 15 December 2023, she is serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the ministry of Bhajan Lal Sharma. [19]

Electoral record

Election results
YearOfficeConstituencyPartyVotes for Diya Kumari%OpponentPartyVotes%MarginResultRef
2013 Member of the Legislative Assembly Sawai Madhopur Bharatiya Janata Party Bharatiya Janata Party (icon).svg 57,38437.29 Kirodi Lal Meena National People's Party Indian Election Symbol Book.svg 49,85238.687,532Won
2019 Member of the Lok Sabha Rajsamand 863,03969.61Devikinandan Gurjar Indian National Congress Hand INC.svg 311,12325.09551,916Won
2023 Member of the Legislative Assembly Vidhyadhar Nagar 158,51663.30Sitaram Agarwal87,14834.8071,368Won

Personal life

Kumari has three children including Padmanabh Singh. These children are from her marriage to Narendra Singh. [20] [10] [21] Narendra Singh was an employee at the City Palace, the residence of the Jaipur royals, in 1997. She married in the same gotra which resulted in Rajput community unhappy and furious. [22] Marriage within same gotra (clan) is prohibited by certain sections of Hindu society who believe people of the same gotra are siblings. Rajasthani society, which is still bound by feudal and semi-feudal loyalties, did not accept the match and followed it up with social boycott. The marriage ended in a divorce in December 2018. [12]

Kumari owns a foundation named the, Princess Diya Kumari Foundation, which she runs with her children working on women empowerment via social entrepreneurship. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaipur</span> Capital of Rajasthan, India

Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan. As of 2011, the city has a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Located 268 km from the national capital New Delhi, Jaipur is also known as the Pink City due to the dominant color scheme of its buildings in old city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gayatri Devi</span> Maharani of Jaipur and Indian politician (1919–2009)

Gayatri Devi was the third Maharani consort of Jaipur from 1940 to 1949 through her marriage to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Following her husband's signature for the Jaipur State to become part of the Union of India and her step-son's assumption of the title in 1970, she was known as Maharani Gayatri Devi, Rajmata of Jaipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kachhwaha</span> Clan of Rajputs in India

The Kachhwaha, or Kachhawa is a Rajput clan found primarily in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooch Behar State</span> Former kingdom located south of Bhutan, now in West Bengal, India

Cooch Behar, also known as Koch Bihar, was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The state was placed under the Bengal States Agency, part of the Eastern States Agency of the Bengal Presidency. It was located south of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, in present-day West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawai Madhopur</span> City in Rajasthan, India

Sawai Madhopur is a city in the Sawai Madhopur district in the southeastern part of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarter of Sawai Madhopur District in Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man Singh II</span> Last ruling Maharaja of Jaipur (1912–1970)

Major General Maharaja Sawai Governor Sir Man Singh II GCSI GCIE was an Indian prince, government official, diplomat and sportsman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhawani Singh</span> Indian Army Officer, hotelier, and titular Maharaja of Jaipur state 1970-71

Brigadier Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh MVC was an officer in the Indian Army and an entrepreneur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Amber</span> Princely state in northwest India (1028–1949)

The Kingdom of Amber, later the Kingdom of Jaipur or the Jaipur State, was located in the north-eastern historic Dhundhar region of Rajputana and was ruled by the Kachwaha Rajput clan. It was established by Dulha Rai, possibly the last ruler of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty of Gwalior who migrated to Dausa and started his kingdom there with the support of Chahamanas of Shakambhari in the 12th century. Mostly through 12th to 15th century, the kingdom faced stagnation, sources were scarce. Under its ruler, Raja Chandrasen of Amber became a Sisodia vassal and fought in the Battle of Khanwa under Raja Prithviraj Kachhwaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' Public School</span> Girls-only school private boarding school in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' School or MGD is located in Jaipur, India and was established by and named after Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. It was the first all-girls school to be established in the state of Rajasthan.

Maharaja Sir Tej Singh Prabhakar, KCSI, was a ruler of Naruka dynasty of the Indian princely state of Alwar, Rajasthan from July 22, 1937 to 15 Aug 1947. He was the last ruling Maharaja of Alwar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narpat Singh Rajvi</span> Indian politician

Narpat Singh Rajvi is a five-time sitting Member of Legislative Assembly from Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency representing Bharatiya Janata Party and a senior politician from the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Palace, Jaipur</span> Building in Rajasthan, India

The City Palace, Jaipur is a royal residence and former administrative headquarters of the rulers of the Jaipur State in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Construction started soon after the establishment of the city of Jaipur under the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who moved his court to Jaipur from Amber, in 1727. Jaipur remained the capital of the kingdom until 1949—when it became the capital of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan—with the City Palace functioning as the ceremonial and administrative seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur. The construction of the Palace was completed in 1732 and it was also the location of religious and cultural events, as well as a patron of arts, commerce, and industry. It was constructed according to the rules of vastushastra, combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles. It now houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, and continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family. The royal family has around 500 personal servants. The palace complex has several buildings, various courtyards, galleries, restaurants, and offices of the Museum Trust.The MSMS II Museum Trust is headed by chairperson Rajamata Padmini Devi of Jaipur. Princess Diya Kumari runs the Museum Trust, as its secretary and trustee. She also manages The Palace School and Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School in Jaipur. She founded and runs the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation to empower underprivileged and underemployed women of Rajasthan. She is also an entrepreneur. In 2013, she was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan from the constituency of Sawai Madhopur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmanabh Singh</span> Indian polo player (born 1998)

Padmanabh Singh is an Indian Polo player and member of the erstwhile royal family of the Jaipur State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar</span> Indian Royal, The Ceremonial Maharaja of Mysore and politician

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar is an Indian politician and a royal from the Wadiyar dynasty, currently serving as a Member of Parliament for Mysore since 2024. The great-grandson of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, Yaduveer Wadiyar was adopted on 10 December 2013 by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar after the demise of her husband Srikantadatta Wadiyar. He was installed as the "Maharaja of Mysore" in a private ceremony in 2015.

Prakash Chand Surana was an Indian jeweler, business person, philanthropist and a music connoisseur, known for his efforts to promote Hindustani music. He was the co-founder of Shruti Mandal, a music community in Jaipur and served as its president, under the aegis of which he reportedly attempted to revive Jaipur gharana tradition. Founded in 1964, the forum has hosted, over the years, such musicians as Kumar Gandharv, Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Bhimsen Joshi and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Born in 1939 in Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan in a Marwari family, he inherited the family jewelry business and contributed to reviving the Kundan meenakari tradition of jewelry making. Surana, who was married to Shobha Devi and had four children- Chandra, Manju, Pracheer & Priti, died on 5 February 2015, succumbing to a cardiac arrest. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, posthumously in 2016, for his contributions to arts. He was also a recipient of Sawai Bhawani Singh Award for excellence in business and industry and Dagar Gharana Award of the Maharana of Mewar Foundation.

Rukshmani Kumari is an Indian politician, affiliated with Indian National Congress, who is currently serving as the Rajasthan state unit president of All India Professionals Congress, the professional wing of Indian National Congress in Rajasthan.

Gopal Singh Shekhawat, also known as Gopal Singh Idwa is an Indian politician and the former Lok Sabha member, who represented Rajsamand constituency of Rajasthan state as the Member of the Bhartiya Janata Party.

Rajendra Prakash, K.C.I.E., 48th direct male lineal descendant from the original founder of the Dynasty, served as the Maharaja of Sirmur State from 1933 until 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmini Devi</span> Her Royal Highness The Rajmata Padmini Devi of Jaipur

Padmini Devi is the titular Rajmata of Jaipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishvaraj Singh Mewar</span> Indian politician

Vishvaraj Singh Mewar is an Indian politician and a member of the erstwhile royal House of Mewar. He is a member of Bharatiya Janata Party and was elected as MLA from Nathdwara constituency. He defeated incumbent C.P. Joshi, five-term incumbent MLA and former Speaker of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha.

References

  1. ↑ "Who Are Diya Kumari, Prem Bairwa: 'Princess Who Walks On Streets' Among Rajasthan Deputy CMs". ABP News. 12 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Diya Kumari| National Portal of India". www.india.gov.in. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Members : Lok Sabha". loksabhaph.nic.in. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Who Is Diya Kumari, The Billionaire Princess Of Jaipur Who Claims Taj Mahal Belonged To Her Ancestors?". Zee News. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Webdunia. "Diya Kumari , दीया कुमारी , Vidhyadhar Nagar , विद्याधर नगर , BJP , Rajasthan , राजस्थान , asssembly election 2023". hindi.webdunia.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Parihar, Rohit (21 August 2006). "New will by Gayatri Devi's late son resurfaces, ignites property war in family". India Today. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Royal Jaipur- Explore the Royal Landmarks in Jaipur". royaljaipur.in. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Home | Amity Alumni". alumni.amity.edu. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Royal Family of Jaipur". Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "In Jaipur royal Diya Kumari rise in BJP, an echo of estranged mentor Raje arc". The Indian Express. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Jaipur princess joins BJP". The Telegraph. India. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  12. 1 2 Joseph, Joychen (16 January 2019). "After 21 years, Rajasthan ex-royal Diya Kumari, her hubby separated". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "Erstwhile royal family member Diya Kumari wins Rajsamand seat by over 5 lakh votes". Zee News. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  14. ↑ भाषा (24 May 2019). "रिकॉर्ड मतों से जीतने वाले बढ़े, पहली बार चार प्रत्याशी छह लाख से ज़्यादा मतों से जीते". The Wire - Hindi. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "BJP's C R Patil wins by 6.89 L votes, biggest victory margin". Rediff. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "भाजपा ने दीया कुमारी को विद्याधर नगर से टिकट दिया। देखें तस्वीरें।". Patrika News (in Hindi). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Diya Kumari files nomination from Vidyadhar Nagar seat". The Times of India. 2 November 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Rajasthan Assembly polls: Diya Kumari, BJP candidate from Vidhyadhar Nagar, files nomination". www.indiatvnews.com. India TV News. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Diya Kumari New Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2023 | दीया कुमारी को राजस्थान का नया उप मुख्यमंत्री नियुक्त किया गया - The News Dispatcher". 15 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Asnani, Rajesh (10 December 2018). "Jaipur's former princess Diya Kumari files for divorce, seeks privacy". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  21. ↑ Sebastian, Sunny (9 October 2003). "A royal surprise in Jaipur". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 13 January 2004.
  22. ↑ "BJP Lawmaker And Jaipur Royal Diya Kumari Files For Divorce". NDTV.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  23. ↑ "When Royalty Cares for the Rural: Princess Diya Kumari Foundation". www.luxuryfacts.com. Retrieved 15 November 2023.[ permanent dead link ]
  24. ↑ India, NGOs (23 September 2018). "Princess Diya Kumari Foundation Society, Jaipur". NGOs India and Funding Agencies. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  25. ↑ Airbnb (22 October 2019). "Airbnb Partners with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation". Airbnb Newsroom. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  26. ↑ [23] [24] [25]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.