Despite BJP candidates facing setbacks in several seats in Maharashtra due to new political alignments, Raksha Khadse emerged as a symbol of resilience. The two-time BJP MP from Maharashtra’s Raver secured victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election by an impressive margin of nearly 3 lakh votes. Now, she is set to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ministry for its third consecutive term.
Raksha, the daughter-in-law of Eknath Khadse, a prominent leader from the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, has opted to return to the BJP. Raksha Khadse was born in Khetia, Madhya Pradesh. Her husband, Nikhil Khadse, passed away in 2013.
Raksha Khadse’s remarkable personal strength and resilience have garnered attention. Her photos, often featuring her with her two young children in her arms, have become social media sensations, highlighting her ability to balance her personal life with her political responsibilities.
Commencing her political journey at the grassroots level, she initially served as the Sarpanch of Kothadi village and subsequently as a member of the Jalgaon Zila Parishad.
After achieving success in local politics, Raksha Khadse was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. She won by a large margin of 318,608 votes, defeating Manish Jain of the NCP. At just 26 years old, she became one of the youngest MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha, alongside Heena Gavit.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Khadse won a second term as the MP for Raver Lok Sabha. She secured victory by defeating Ulhas Patil of the Congress with a significant margin of 335,882 votes.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, she held onto her seat in Raver, winning against the closest NCP-Sharad Pawar candidate by a margin of 2,72,183 votes.
“I’m very thankful to the leadership for giving me this opportunity. This was a good surprise for me. I did not work to get any post but worked only as a common karyakarta,” Raksha Khadse told the media earlier on June 9. She also thanked the people of Raver for electing her to the Lok Sabha for a third consecutive term.
As per her profile, Raksha Khadse is dedicated to promoting women’s empowerment, ensuring children receive quality education, and advocating for the welfare of farmers.
Raksha Khadse focuses on tackling water shortages in the Jalgaon area and enhancing road connectivity, which she sees as crucial for improving infrastructure and education. Additionally, she has secured partial funding for an irrigation project in Raver.
