2020 - Vijaya Raje Scindia | Commemorative Coin

The first commemorative coin for the year 2020 was released to mark the Birth Centenary of Smt. Vijaya Raje Scindia.

Vijaya Raje Scindia (12 October 1919 – 25 January 2001), originally named Lekha Divyeshwari Devi and widely known as the Rajmata of Gwalior, held a prominent position in Indian politics. During the era of the British Raj, as the consort of the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior, Jivajirao Scindia, she stood among the most distinguished royal figures in the country. Later in life, she emerged as a highly influential politician, serving multiple terms in both houses of the Indian parliament. Additionally, she actively participated in the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party for several decades.

Vijayaraje entered the realm of electoral politics in 1957 by successfully contesting and winning the Guna Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh on a Congress ticket. Five years later, she secured victory in Gwalior on a Congress ticket. Subsequently, she left the Congress, triumphed in the Guna seat in 1967 under the Swatantra Party's banner, and then joined the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. She resigned from the Lok Sabha to engage in state politics, winning the Karera assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh as the Jan Sangh candidate in 1967.

During the 1971 Lok Sabha polls, despite the prevailing Indira wave, the Jan Sangh managed to win three seats in the Gwalior region, with Vijaya Raje Scindia winning from Bhind, Vajpayee from Gwalior, and Madhavrao Scindia from Guna, although he later parted ways with the party. Vijayaraje did not participate in the Lok Sabha elections in 1977 and 1984 and faced defeat against Indira Gandhi in Rae Bareli in 1980. In 1989, she emerged victorious from Guna as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and retained the seat in 1991, 1996, and 1998. She did not contest the elections in 1999 due to old age.

During the Emergency, imposed by Indira Gandhi, Vijayaraje was incarcerated and shared a cell with fellow Rajmata and MP, Gayatri Devi, in Tihar Jail. In the 1970s, a public dispute over property arose between Vijayaraje and her son Madhavrao, exacerbated by their differing political ideologies.

Vijayaraje assumed a prominent role in the leadership of the BJP in 1980 when she was appointed one of its vice-presidents. She played a crucial role in advancing the party's Ram Janmabhoomi agenda and was considered a hardliner. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992, she expressed that she could now die without regret, having witnessed her dream come true. She continued as a BJP vice-president until 1998 when she stepped down for health reasons, retiring from electoral politics. Vijaya Raje Scindia passed away in January 2001.

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