Shivani Raja, an Indian-origin Tory politician, has been elected as the member of parliament from Leicester East. She defeated Rajesh Aggarwal, a former deputy mayor of London.
The victory was seen as a shock because Leicester East has been known to be a Labour Party stronghold and it is the first time in 37 years that the constituency has elected a Tory.
From Leicester, For LeicesterIt’s an honour to be selected to serve my home city, the hard work starts now.#FromLeicesterForLeicester pic.twitter.com/n0YS67HtaE
— Shivani Raja (@ShivaniRaja_LE) May 29, 2024
Shivani Raja secured 14,526 votes in the General Election 2024, leading by 4,426 votes ahead of Labour candidate Rajesh Agrawal.
Last night at the Maher Centre, I was inspired by Pujya Shree Giribapu’s storytelling on Lord Shiva. His words uplifted and united us all. Events like these highlight the vibrant spirit of our Leicester East community. Proud to be a part of it! … pic.twitter.com/JaRqYh9jEB
— Shivani Raja (@ShivaniRaja_LE) June 9, 2024
A report by DeshGujarat said that Raja is of Gujarati origin and hails from Diu. It also said that during the elections Raja devoted a lot of her time in engaging British-Indian voters.
✨ Celebrating 50 Years of Sanatan Mandir! ✨For half a century, our Leicester community has focussed on fostering unity, devotion, and service. Together, we’ve built a legacy of faith, compassion, and rich cultural heritage.
Here’s to 50 more years! #LeicesterEast… pic.twitter.com/mvXXKtuNQp
— Shivani Raja (@ShivaniRaja_LE) June 30, 2024
The report stated that she encouraged British voters in India, especially those from Diu and Gujarat, to take part in online voting.
On campaign trail, Raja performed traditional dance form garba at an event, visited temples and appeared alongside Surat mayor Daxesh Mavani to underscore her ties with her Indian roots.
Shivani Raja’s parents moved to Leicester from Kenya and India in the late 1970s. She completed her education at De Montfort University, graduating in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science, and later worked with several major cosmetics brands in England.
Raja’s victory is being seen as a gain in an election where her party has performed poorly winning just 121 seats compared to the landslide victory by Labour who won more than 400 seats. The landslide victory saw the end of the Tory rule and outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation both as Prime Minister and Tory Chief.
The city of Leicester in 2022 witnessed clashes between Indian and Pakistani communities following an altercation that erupted during a cricket match.
Keir Starmer on Friday promised to “rebuild Britain” as he took office as the UK’s new prime minister following his centre-left Labour party’s landslide general election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
Head of state King Charles III asked Starmer to form a government during a meeting at Buckingham Palace, officially appointing the 61-year-old former human rights lawyer as prime minister.
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