Quicksplained: Who is Shivani Raja, the 29-year-old Indian-origin UK MP, who took oath on Bhagavad Gita?

Amid the dominant presence of Labour MPs in the UK Parliament, 29-year-old Tory leader Shivani Raja stepped into the spotlight, solemnly swearing her oath on the Bhagavad Gita as she took her seat in the House of Commons on Thursday.

In a post on X, Raja posted a video of the swearing-in ceremony.“It was an honour to be sworn into Parliament today to represent Leicester East”, she said in the post.“I was truly proud to swear my allegiance to His Majesty King Charles on the Gita”, she added.

It was an honour to be sworn into Parliament today to represent Leicester East.

I was truly proud to swear my allegiance to His Majesty King Charles on the Gita.#LeicesterEast pic.twitter.com/l7hogSSE2C

— Shivani Raja MP (@ShivaniRaja_LE) July 10, 2024

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Her triumph was not just personal but historic, marking a seismic shift in Leicester East constituency, a longstanding Labour Party bastion that hadn’t seen a Tory elected in 37 years.

Following the UK’s transformative election, a wave of new MPs flooded Parliament, including 23 of Indian origin. Alongside Raja, Bob Blackman MP from Harrow East, Bihar-born Labour MP Kanishka Narayan, and opposition leader Rishi Sunak, also took their oaths on the Bhagavad Gita.

But who is Shivani Raja and how did she manage to capture the Labour bastion of Leicester East? Let’s take a closer look

1. Shivani Raja, born in 1994, hails from Leicester. Her father, a Gujarati, emigrated from Kenya in the 1970s, while her mother moved from Rajkot. They settled in Rushey Mead, Leicestershire, where they made their home.

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2. The Indian-origin MP graduated from De Montfort University with a degree in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science and went on to work with several major cosmetics brands in England, gaining valuable business experience.

3. According to The Times of India, Raja is also actively involved in her family’s business focusing on property construction and hospitality.

4. Raja’s political breakthrough came when she managed to break the Labour Party’s 37-year grip on Leicester East. She secured a victory with 14,526 votes, beating Labour’s Rajesh Agrawal, the former deputy mayor of London, who received 10,100 votes.

After the election results were announced, Raja emphasized the need for change, declaring on X, “It indeed is time for a change…and that change is Leicester turns blue.”

It indeed is time for a change…and that change is Leicester turns blue 💙 pic.twitter.com/XTYqbdFxXU

— Shivani Raja MP (@ShivaniRaja_LE) July 7, 2024

5. During her campaign, Raja made significant efforts to connect with the British-Indian community in Leicester. She participated in traditional garba dance events, visited temples, and appeared alongside Surat mayor Daxesh Mavani to highlight her ties to her Indian roots.

6. In 2022, Leicester experienced clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities following a cricket match between India and Pakistan, The Guardian reported.

In The Times of India report, Raja pointed out that after the incident, people were “disappointed” and had “lost faith in politicians” as the previous MPs did not stand by them during riots and “immediately blamed Hindus before speaking to anyone”. But as she decided to contest elections, people saw her as a “breath of fresh air”.

7. According to Raja’s website, she aims to improve streets, roads, and hospitals, enhance community cohesion, support local businesses, and adopt a tougher approach to illegal immigration as promised by former PM Rishi Sunak.

With input from agencies