Produced by: Prashanti Moktan Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh
BJP’s Diya Kumari won the Vidhyadhar Nagar seat by defeating Congress's Sitaram Agarwal by 71,368 votes on Sunday. By winning 115 seats, BJP also wrested power from the Congress in the desert state. She shared a Reel on Instagram post her victory and captioned it, “Hoisted by the faith of the people, the victory flag of BJP in Vidyadhar Nagar.”
Former CM Vasundhara Raje, Mahant Balak Nath, touted as the ‘Yogi from Rajasthan’, Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat and Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi are reportedly among the top contenders for the chief minister's post. However, Diya Kumari’s name is also being featured in the list of probables after her successful campaign as the ‘daughter of Jaipur’ and a ‘princess who walks the streets’ led to her win
Diya Kumari’s political journey began with her induction into the BJP in 2013, marked by a grand rally in Jaipur. Her political career progressed from being an MLA representing Sawai Madhopur. She was elected as the MP for Rajsamand in 2019, where she won in the Lok Sabha polls with a whopping margin of 5.51 lakh votes
Diya Kumari, former princess of Jaipur and Rajsamand MP, sparked a row when she claimed that the Taj Mahal was built on her family's land. Her assertion that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had 'captured' the land to construct the Taj Mahal brought her into the limelight, intertwining her royal heritage with historical controversy
Diya Kumari's claim about the Taj Mahal's land ownership stirred a historical debate. She asserted that the land where the iconic structure stands was originally owned by her ancestors, the Jaipur Royal Family, and contained a palace before Shah Jahan built the iconic monument
Adding to her controversial stances, Diya Kumari had claimed that her family's descent was from Lord Ram's son in 2019. She even expressed willingness to present evidence in the Supreme Court as she aimed to expedite the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Diya Kumari was born into the Jaipur Royal Family and is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, who was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur during the British Raj in India. Apart from her political career, she is known for her philanthropic endeavours, notably through the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation, which focuses on various social causes
In the self-declared affidavit as part of her nomination filing during the Rajashan elections, Diya Kumari has declared assets worth Rs 19 crore. Over Rs 15 crore has been listed as being holdings and investments as shares in companies, bonds and debentures
Diya Kumari was born to Bhawani Singh and Padmini Devi in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Her education started in India where she attended prestigious schools such as Modern School in New Delhi, G.D. Somani Memorial School in Mumbai and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' Public School in Jaipur. She holds a Fine Arts (Decorative Painting) Diploma from Parsons Art and Design School in London
Even Diya Kumari's marriage courted controversy as she chose to marry a commoner. The ‘princess’ married Narendra Singh Rajawat, a chartered accountant and the couple had three children, Padmanabh Singh, Lakshraj Prakash Singh and a daughter Gauravi Kumari. However, their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 2018. Upon her father Bhawani Singh's death in 2011, the then 12-year-old Padmanabh Singh was unofficially installed as the ‘Maharaja of Jaipur’