Gandhinagar: Who is Kesridevsinh Jhala who has been nominated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat?

Born on 5th November 1982, Jhala is the son of the late Dr. Digvijaysinh Pratapsinh Jhala. He belongs to the royal family of Wankaner which is located between Rajkot and Morbi in the Saurashtra region. Jhala is the 16th ruler of the former Wankaner State.

He took primary education in the Vidyabharti Education Trust-run school in Wankaner and in a Modern school in New Delhi. He had higher education in New Era High School in Panchgani in Maharashtra. He took the degree of Tourism and Lieser Management at the University of Huddersfield in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

He is the vice president of the Wankaner Education Society run Shri Amarsinhji highschool. He is president of Samast Hindu Samaj Janmashtami Utsav Samiti in Wankaner for 8 years. He is Trustee of Maharani Saheba Ramakunvarba Rajput Kanya hostel in Wankaner. He is a Trustee of Purnachandra Garasiya Boarding Trust, Harpaldev Education and Charitable Trust. He is associated with the Wankaner Chamber of Commerce & Industries Association. He is Chairman of Sports Academy in Wankener which offers free sports training to students.

Jhala was officially in charge of Wankaner Taluka BJP’s taluka panchayat and district panchayat. He was the district BJP vice president of Rajkot for one term and the district BJP vice president of Morbi district for one term.

Jhala was inducted to BJP in 2011 in the presence of then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi and various royal families. Jhala was involved in the selection of winnable candidates for district and taluka panchayat elections in Morbi district in 2021. He worked hard to ensure the victory of party candidates in these elections. He started a party office in his own premises and also got constructed a hall for party functions.

Jhala’s grandfather late Pratapsinh was MLA from Wankaner during 1952-57. His father late Digvijaysinh was a two-term MLA during 1979-1989. He was India’s first Environment minister during 1979-1989. He was president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha for years.

Jhala’s uncle Janakdevsinh Jhala was also Wankaner MLA during 1975-1980. His maternal uncle Ajay Singh was Railway Minister in VP Singh’s government in the Centre.

As per the profile of Kesridivsinh Jhala circulated by BJP Gujarat, Jhala created a party organization in the Wankaner area, which helped the party in winning Taluka Panchayat for the first time.

Jhala had sought a party ticket to contest from the Wankaner assembly seat in 2012 and 2017 and his name was on the second number in scrutiny in the party’s Parliamentary Board meetings.

Jhala’s wedding was attended in the year 2011 by then Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi. A meal for the entire Wankaner town was arranged at that time.

In the year 2022, Kesridevsinh Jhala was installed as the 16th ruler of the former Wankaner state. A meal for 22,000 people of Wankaner was hosted by him on this occasion. Jhala was one of the guests invited to the inauguration of the new Kashi Vishwanath corridor. He has been holding blood donation camps, tree plantation drives, Sports tournaments, and more. DeshGujarat