Rajasthan polls: Tense equation with Raje cost Jai Singh heiress her ticket

Diya Kumari, a first-time MLA and member of the city's former royalty, has lost her ticket for the elections next month - allegedly at the behest of Vasundhara Raje

On Sunday, as Jaipur observed its 291st foundation day, the mood in the City Palace – home to the descendants of its founder ruler Sawai Jai Singh II – was only ceremonially joyful.

The dampener was a political setback for Diya Kumari, member of the erstwhile royal family and the incumbent BJP MLA from Sawai Madhopur.

In the previous elections, in 2013, Diya defeated the influential caste leader Kirodi Lal Meena, winning what many called an unequal contest. Now, at the end of her debut term, Diya had lost her ticket to another candidate, Asha Meena, for the upcoming assembly