Shivani Raja, a 29-year-old Indian-origin lawmaker, made history by taking the oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita after winning the Leicester East seat in the UK general election.
Last week, Raja was elected as a Member of Parliament from Leicester East, a seat previously held by the Labour Party for 37 years. Her victory over Rajesh Aggarwal, a former deputy mayor of London, was unexpected given the constituency’s long-standing Labour allegiance.
In a post on X, Raja expressed her deep honour in representing Leicester East and affirmed her allegiance to Britain’s King Charles on the 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,” she wrote.
Raja’s election adds to the diversity of the House of Commons, which now includes 27 Indian-origin MPs following the July 4 general election. Of Gujarati origin, Raja’s family moved to Leicester from Kenya and Bharat in the late 1970s. She graduated from De Montfort University with a degree in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science and has worked with several major cosmetics brands in England.
Her victory is notable in an election where her party, the Conservatives, performed poorly, winning just 121 seats. Labour, led by Keir Starmer, secured a commanding victory with 412 seats, an increase of 211 seats from 2019. The Conservatives, under Rishi Sunak, suffered a significant setback, losing 250 seats compared to the previous election.
