Manabendra Shah

Maharaja Manabendra Shah
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
1991–2007
Succeeded byVijay Bahuguna
ConstituencyTehri Garhwal
In office
1957–1971
Preceded byKamalendumati Shah
ConstituencyTehri Garhwal
Personal details
Born(1921-05-26)26 May 1921
Tehri, Princely State of Tehri Garhwal, British India (presently New Tehri, Uttarakhand, India)
Died5 January 2007(2007-01-05) (aged 85)
New Delhi
Political partyBJP
Spouse(s)Maharani Suraj Kanwar, Banswara Royal Family
Children1 son, Manujendra Shah
3 daughters, Anupama Kumari, Nirupama Kumari, Swarupa Kumari
Residences
As of 16 September, 2006
Source: [1]

Lt. Col. Maharaja Manabendra Shah (26 May 1921 – 5 January 2007) was a member of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabha of India.[1][2][3] He represented the Tehri Garhwal constituency of Uttarakhand and was a member of the Indian National Congress before joining the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and later the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He became one of the BJP's longest-serving members. Shah was India's ambassador to Ireland from 1980 to 1983.[2]

Shah was also the last ruling Maharaja of the Garhwal Kingdom (1946–1949), when Tehri Garhwal princely state acceded to independent India on 1 August 1949.

He served as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Bengal Engineer Group (formerly, the King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners Group, Royal Indian Engineers and prior to that, the 1st Prince of Wales Own Bengal Sappers and Miners).[2]

Education and personal life

He was born to Maharaja Narendra Shah Sahib Bahadur and Maharani Indu Matt Devi.[2]

He studied at Government College, Lahore and ICS Camp, Dehradun (Uttarakhand).[4]

He was also the Patron of the Badrinath and Kedarnath Temples, President of the Temple Board of Management, Tehri Garhwal, Trustee of the Maharaja Narendra Shah Trust and the Maharaja Kirti Shah Trust.

His interests include reading, photography and travelling.

He was a sports enthusiast and member of the following sports clubs: Cricket Club, Gymkhana Club, Golf Club, Army Golf Club, National Sports Club, Royal Western India Turf Club, and Rotary Club.[2]

Parliamentary contributions

During his long parliamentary career, he served on various Committees as follows:[2]

Family in politics

His daughter-in law Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah was elected to Lok Sabha from the same seat in 2012.

His son-in-law, Mahendra Singh Mewar, had led a yatra with Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mewar.[5] Mahendra was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chittorgarh in the 1989 Indian general election from BJP with a record winning margin of over 1,90,000 votes.[6] He moved to Indian National Congress and contested from Chittorgarh Constituency and lost to Jaswant Singh of the BJP[7] and then from Bhilwara Constituency where he lost to Subhash Chandra Baheria in 1996 Lok Sabha elections.[6][8][9][10]

His grandson Vishvaraj Singh Mewar is the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Nathdwara constituency for the 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Elections.[11][12]

Death

He died on 5 January 2007 in New Delhi after a long illness, and was accorded a state funeral at Narendranagar, Tehri-Garhwal on the 7 January 2007.[2]

References

  1. ^ Hoon, Preeti (31 January 2020). "Maharaja Manujendra Shah's Craze For Cars & A Childhood Story". PREETI HOON. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rathore, Abhinay (1948). "Tehri Garhwal (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Lok Sabha veterans with a difference". The Times of India. 23 April 2004. Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Eight times Lok Sabha MP, and last Tehri scion is no more". Hindustan Times. 6 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. ^ Arnimesh, Shanker (17 October 2023). "Rajput card, eye on Mewar — why Rajasthan BJP brought in Maharana Pratap descendant & Karni Sena heir". ThePrint. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b "तीन दशक बाद महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज की BJP में एंट्री, कौन हैं विश्वराज सिंह मेवाड़, जानिए Profile". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Jaswant Singh prepares for his last innings in Parliament from Rajasthan". India Today. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. ^ उदयपुर, विपिन चंद्र सोलंकी (19 October 2023). "महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज विश्वराज सिंह ने जॉइन की BJP, क्या इससे मेवाड़ की राजनीति पर पड़ेगा असर?". www.abplive.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Vishwaraj Singh Mewar: कौन हैं महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज विश्वराज मेवाड़, पहले पिता को मिली जीत, अब BJP ने दिया टिकट". Zee News (in Hindi). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  10. ^ Saini, Vishwanath (17 October 2023). "Vishvaraj Singh Mewar". OneIndia News. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Mewar royal family's connect with people will help BJP win Nathdwara: Vishvaraj Singh". The Times of India. 5 November 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Rajasthan Chunav: बीजेपी को मिला महाराणा प्रताप के वंशज का साथ, विश्वराज सिंह मेवाड़ को नाथद्वारा से उतारा चुनाव मैदान में". Times Now Navbharat (in Hindi). 29 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.