30-year-old Indian-origin Conservative MP Shivani Raja takes oath on Bhagavad Gita

Shivani Raja, a Gujarati businesswoman of Indian origin, took oath on the Bhagavad Gita in the UK Parliament. Shivani Raja, 29, won the Leicester East seat, marking a shocking victory in the traditional Labour Party stronghold. 

The newly-minted UK MP said that she was honoured to represent Leicester East and swore her allegiance on the Bhagavad Gita. “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,” wrote the minister on X.

Raja’s win from the Leicester East ended the Labour Party's 37-year stronghold in the constituency. She won 14,526 votes, with Labour's Rajesh Agrawal in second with 10,100 votes and Zuffar Haq third for the Liberal Democrats with 6,329, reported the BBC. Claudia Webbe and Keith Vaz were the other MPs who had contested this seat. 

Claudia Webbe had stood as an independent, while Keith Vaz represented the One Leicester party. This was the first time in 37 years that the constituency has elected a Conservative.

After the results of the UK elections 2024 on July 7, MP Shivani Raja said that it was time for a change. She said the task at hand wasn't a simple one, but she was committed to transforming the city. “It indeed is time for a change … and that change is Leicester turns blue,” wrote the newly elected MP on X.

In 2022, there were severe clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities in the UK, reported The Guardian. What started as a march with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, in the weekend before the Queen’s funeral, had soon turned into a strife between the religious communities in Belgrave Road.

Shivani Raja, born in 1994 in Leicester, is the daughter of a Kenyan-Gujarati father and a mother from Rajkot. She graduated from De Montfort University with a degree in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science and worked with major cosmetics brands in England. Raja also plays an active role in her family's property and hospitality business. She connected with the British-Indian community through traditional events and visits to temples, emphasizing her Indian roots.

Raja’s goals include improving local infrastructure, enhancing community cohesion, supporting local businesses, and taking a tougher stance on illegal immigration, in line with former PM Rishi Sunak's policies.