Rajasthan is a state in northwestern India. It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 sq mi) or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern side, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable Thar Desert and shares a border with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab to the northwest and Sindh to the west, along the Sutlej-Indus River valley. It is bordered by five other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast; Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and Gujarat to the southwest. Its geographical location is 23°.3' to 30°.12' North latitude and 69°.30' to 78°.17' East longitude, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through its southernmost tip.
Jodhpur is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and Jodhpur division. It is historic capital of the Kingdom of Marwar, founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of the Rathore clan. On 11 August 1947, 4 days prior to the Indian independence, Maharaja Hanwant Singh the last ruler of Jodhpur state signed the Instrument of Accession and merged his state in Union of India. On 30 March 1949, it became part of the newly formed state of Rajasthan, which was created after merging the states of the erstwhile Rajputana Agency.
Nathuram Mirdha was an Indian politician, freedom fighter, social reformer and popular farmer leader from Marwar region in Rajasthan. He was elected as member of Lok Sabha for six terms between 1971 and 1997 from Nagaur. He served as member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He was a popular face of Jat Politics in Rajasthan. He is also Known as Gandhi of Rajasthan. He served in the Union Council of Ministers in 1979–80 and 1989–90. He was Chairman of Maharaja Suraj Mal Institute, New Delhi for ten years.
Parasram Maderna was an Indian politician who was a nine-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Rajasthan between 1957 and 2003. He was the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2004 and a three-time Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. A senior Jat leader, he served as a Cabinet Minister in the Rajasthan government for several portfolios. He also served as the President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee from 1989 to 1994. He was an MLA from the Bhopalgarh constituency six times, which included four consecutive terms from 1967 to 1985. He also served as MLA twice from the Osian constituency and once from the Gudamalani constituency.
Although India is a parliamentary democracy, the country's politics has become dynastic or with high level of nepotism, possibly due to the absence of party organizations, independent civil-society associations which mobilize support for a party, or centralized financing of elections. The dynastic phenomenon is present at the national, state, regional, and district level. The Nehru–Gandhi family has produced three Indian prime ministers, and family members have largely led the Congress party since 1978. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also has several dynastic leaders. In addition to the major national parties, other national and regional parties such as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal Secular, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Indian Union Muslim League, AIMIM, and the Nationalist Congress Party are all dominated by families, mostly those of the party founders.
This is the alphabetical categorised list of statewide, regional and local political families involved in the politics and various elections of Rajasthan state of India at state and National level.
Ashok Gehlot is an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 1998 to December 2003, then again from 2008 to December 2013, and later from 2018 to December 2023. He represents Sardarpura constituency of Jodhpur as Member of Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan since 1999. He was a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Jodhpur from 1991 to 1999 and from 1980 to 1989 and Union Minister of State for Textile from 1991 to 1993, Tourism and Civil aviation from 1984 to 1984 and Deputy Union minister for Sports from 1984 to 1984. He was also a national General secretary of Congress Party, in-charge of organisations and training from March 2018 to 23 January 2019. He was also made in-charge of Gujarat state in 2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election.
Jai Narain Vyas University is an educational institution in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The institution is the only residential university in the state, catering mainly to the needs of students of western Rajasthan (Marwar). Many of its research and development activities focus on the heritage, society, and challenges of the Thar Desert region, in which it is located. As the westernmost university of the country, research is conducted in border areas with Pakistan.
Margaret Nazareth Alva is an Indian politician. She served as the 17th Governor of Goa, 23rd Governor of Gujarat, 19th Governor of Rajasthan and 4th Governor of Uttarakhand at various times between 2009 and 2014. She has formerly served as the Cabinet Minister. She took over in Rajasthan from the Punjab governor, Shivraj Patil, who had been holding an additional charge of that state. Before being appointed governor, she was a senior figure in the Indian National Congress and was Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Her mother-in-law, Violet Alva, was Second Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha in 1960s.
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) is an Indian political party in the state of Rajasthan. The party was founded by Hanuman Beniwal on the eve of the 2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election.
Harish Singh Godara, better known as Harish Chaudhary, is an Indian politician and farmer leader. He is member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Baytoo, Rajasthan. He is member of the Indian National Congress. He also served as the Cabinet Minister of Revenue, Colonization and Water Cooperation of Rajasthan. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Barmer in 2009. He was national secretary of the All India Congress Committee from 2014 to 2019. He was also incharge of the Congress party in Punjab.
Kamla Beniwal was an Indian independence activist and politician. She was a senior member of Indian National Congress party. She served as a minister in different posts and Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 2003. Later she served as Governor of different Indian states between 2009 and 2014. She became the first woman minister in Rajasthan in 1954 at the age of 27. She was the first ever woman Governor of any northeastern state. She was a recipient of Tamra Patra Award from former prime minister Indira Gandhi in recognition of her contribution in the freedom struggle.
Maru Pradesh is a geographical, cultural, social, economic, political and linguistic region of the Thar Desert in the Northwest India. It is also a proposed state in India with its proposed capital being Jodhpur, the Central city of Maru Pradesh. It would be carved out from the state of Rajasthan. The proposed state would consist the districts of Jalore, Balotra, Barmer, Sanchore, Sirohi, Didwana Kuchaman, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Jodhpur Rural, Nagaur, Pali, Phalodi, Anupgarh, Sikar, Churu, Sri Ganganagar, Beawar.
Hanuman Beniwal is an Indian politician and farmer leader from Nagaur, Rajasthan. He is serving as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament representing Nagaur. He is founder and president of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. He has been elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for four-terms from Khinvsar constituency since 2008. He is also a two term member of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament from Nagaur.
Beniwal is an Indian Jat gotra, mainly found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, etc.
Khinvsar is one of the 200 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Rajasthan state in India. It is in Nagaur district and is a part of Nagaur. This seat is considered as bastion for Hanuman Beniwal. He has been elected from this seat for consecutive four terms from 2008 to 2023 and one By-election was won by his brother Narayan Beniwal in 2019.
Narayan Beniwal is an Indian politician. He was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Khinwasar on 24 October 2019 in by poll elections. He is member of the Rastriya Loktantrik Party. He is younger brother of Hanuman Beniwal.
Mohit Beniwal is an Indian politician currently serving as the Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council since 2024 and affiliated with Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ramdev Beniwal, better known as Ramdev Chaudhary, was an Indian politician. He was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly for two terms from the Mundwa Assembly constituency in 1977 and 1985. His children were Hanuman Beniwal and Narayan Beniwal.