Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja declared heir to Jamnagar royal throne
Jamnagar (PTI): The maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Nawanagar, known as Jamnagar, in Gujarat, has declared his nephew and former cricketer Ajay Jadeja as his heir to the throne on the auspicious day of Dussehra on Saturday.
The 53-year-old cricketer, who played 196 ODIs and 15 test matches for India between 1992 and 2000, is a descendant of the Jamnagar royal family.
Maharaja of Jamnagar Shatrusalyasinh Jadeja is the cousin of Daulatsinghji Jadeja, the cricketer's father, a three-time Member of Parliament from Jamnagar from 1971 to 1984.
"The festival of Dussehra is believed to mark the day the Pandavas emerged victorious from exile. Today, on Dussehra, I am equally happy, as I have found a resolution to one of my dilemmas thanks to Ajay Jadeja, who has accepted to be my heir," Maharaja Jamsaheb, as he is popularly called, declared in a statement.
"Ajay Jadeja taking up the responsibility of serving the people of Jamnagar is truly a boon for its people. I express my sincere gratitude to him," he said.
Maharaja Shatrusalyasinhji was also a cricketer who captained Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy in 1966-67 and served as the head of the Saurashtra Cricket Association.
He was made the titular head of Nawanagar on February 3, 1966, after his father's death, and was married to a member of the Nepal royal family whom he later divorced.
The family are descendants of legendary cricketer Ranjitsinh Jadeja, who ruled Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933.
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After arriving from Delhi, Shinde heads to his native village; Mahayuti meet likely on Sun
Mumbai(PTI): Outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who returned to Mumbai from New Delhi on Friday morning, is travelling to his native village in Satara district amid continuing suspense over his successor a week after the assembly poll results.
Shinde had told reporters in New Delhi on late Thursday night that the next meeting of the Mahayuti alliance on government formation will be held in Mumbai on Friday.
However, the caretaker CM, who heads the Shiv Sena, is travelling to his native village Dare in Satara district in western Maharashtra and the meeting is now expected to take place on Sunday, the sources said.
The Shiv Sena leader has repeatedly said he would not be an obstacle in the government formation and abide by the decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the next chief minister.
Different viewpoints are emerging in the Shiv Sena over Shinde's place in the next government to be headed by the BJP, the biggest constituent in the Mahayuti, which posted a thumping win in the just-held assembly polls.
Many leaders in the Shiv Sena are asking Shinde to accept deputy CM's post if offered by the BJP. However, another section feels it wouldn't be right for him to accept No. 2 position after serving as CM for more than two-and-a-half years, the sources said.
"The government formation process will start after the BJP announces its legislature party leader," they said.
During his Delhi trip, Shinde had met Shah and discussed formation of the next government in the state. His deputies in the outgoing state cabinet Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) had also met the senior BJP leader.
Talking to reporters in the national capital, Shinde called the discussion “good and positive”.
Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar had also met BJP president J P Nadda.
