Jalgaon (Maharashtra), May 13 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Raver, Raksha N. Khadse cut a cake marking her 37th birthday at her home in Muktainagar (May 13) -- and also the day which would decide her fate as she targets a hat-trick to the Lok Sabha, here on Monday.

Raver in Jalgaon district is among the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies going to vote in Maharashtra’s decisive fourth phase of voting.

Appearing edgy on V-day, Raksha -- the daughter-in-law of senior Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLC Eknath Khadse -- and her entire family and close relatives gathered for a brief birthday celebration at her home.

Attempting to manage a smile, she bent and touched the feet of her father-in-law (Eknath Khadse) while her mother-in-law Manda Khadse performed the traditional ‘aarti’ for the dual occasion of her birthday and the election day.

Surrounded by her minor children, nephews-nieces and other family members, Raksha blew out a candle and cut the cake on her 37th birthday with claps, cheers and singing the all-time favourite ‘Happy Birthday To You !’ song.

After a round of cake eating by all, greetings, wishes, blessings and merriment, the entire Khadse family trooped out to the polling station near their home in Muktainagar to cast their votes, with a large number of friends, relatives and admirers also joining them.

Incidentally, Raksha was first elected as MP in 2014, and along with her party colleague Dr. Heena V. Gavit of Nandurbar LS, had become the two youngest MPs of the 2016 Parliament, and both young women are now hoping for a hat-trick performance.

A widow, Raksha -- a Computer Science graduate hailing from Khetiya town in Madhya Pradesh -- was married to Eknath Khadse’s son, the late Nikhil Khadse who passed away in May 2013.