Gujarat 2022: Social Activist-Turned-Politician, Rivaba Jadeja To Contest On BJP Ticket; Congress May Field Sister-In-Law

Rivaba Jadeja, BJP leader and wife of Indian cricketer, Ravindra Jadeja would be running from Jamnagar (North) on the party ticket in the upcoming state elections.

She is a first timer in electoral politics, but her social engagements make her an experienced public figure.

The 32-year-old joined the BJP back in 2019. According to her, she was inspired to take the plunge into politics after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom she had met along with her husband.

Before that, she served as the head of the women's wing of Karni Sena, a Rajput organisation, in Gujarat. Proud of her roots, she has often spoken about the support she has recieved from the Rajput community.

Born in Rajkot, Rivaba studied mechanical engineering. Her father is a businessman. She married Ravindra Jadeja in 2016 and moved to Jamnagar, the city where her husband hails from.

She is also related to veteran Congress leader, Hari Singh Solanki.

Her sister-in-law, Naynaba Jadeja, had joined Congress, a month after Rivaba accepted BJP membership. It is believed that the cricketer supports his wife while the sister has the support of his father.

The contest in Jamnagar may become more interesting if Congress, too, fields Naynaba Jadega against Rivaba. Naynaba is currently serving as a district president.

During Covid pandemic, she criticised Rivaba publicly for not adhering to Covid protocols while attending a function.

Even though she is the wife of a popular cricketer, Rivaba has gained political acceptance and social standing with her own efforts. Since joining the BJP, she has actively worked to gather support in the rural areas of the Jamnagar-Saurashtra region. She is often seen sharing the stage during party events.

In this election, she would be replacing the sitting BJP MLA, Dharmendrasinh M Jadeja. Being young, fiery, and culturally rooted, Rivaba could be one of the prominent faces of the more youthful and energised BJP in the state.