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Political leader from Kerala From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sobha Surendran (born 1974) is an Indian politician from the state of Kerala, allied to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She is widely recognized for her active participation in various social and political issues. Sobha is the first woman politician from Kerala to hold a position at the national level.[1] She has acted as the state president of BJP Mahila Morcha.Known for her dynamic oratory and grassroots connections, Sobha has increased BJP’s vote share in every election she has contested.[2][3] She also serves on the board of directors of the Chennai Petroleum Corporation.[4][5][6]
Sobha Surendran | |
|---|---|
| |
| Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 51) Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | K. Surendran |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Thrissur, Kerala |
| Alma mater | University of Calicut |
| Occupation |
|
Sobha was born into an agricultural family in Wadakkancherry, Thrissur district of Kerala.[7][8] She is married to K. K. Surendran, a Bharatiya Janata Party politician from Malappuram.[9] She lost her father while she was still in school, a challenging experience that significantly shaped her early life. Despite this hardship, she was groomed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from the age of 13[10]
Sobha Surendran began her political journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after her involvement with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and her activities with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. She transitioned to become a full-time BJP worker in the early 1990s at a time when the BJP had not yet seen electoral success in Kerala.[11]
Over her extensive career spanning more than three decades, Sobha has held various significant positions within BJP. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha District Vice President,Yuvamorcha State Vice President,Mahila Morcha State Secretary,Mahila Morcha State President (2010-2016),BJP State Secretary,BJP National Executive Member (2015-2021),BJP State General Secretary (2016-2020),BJP State Vice President (2020-present),BJP State Core Committee Member* (2016-present)[12][13]
During her tenure as the State President of Mahila Morcha, Sobha was pivotal in establishing BJP women's wing units across all 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala.[14] Under her leadership, the organization not only expanded its reach but also gained significant public support, transforming into a formidable advocate for women's rights. Her leadership was marked by grassroots campaigns that addressed various issues faced by women, thereby enhancing her profile and making her a prominent figure in Kerala politics.[15]
In 2016, there was a close contest and she came second with 40,087 votes.[16] Sobha, as the party's state general secretary, was then contesting both legislative assembly and general elections on a BJP ticket.
Over the years her election results have been improving the party vote share.[17]
In 2019, Sobha contested the Attingal constituency and came third against Adoor Prakash of the Indian National Congress. In 2014 BJP got 92,000 votes and in 2019 BJP got 248,000 votes in Attingal.[18][19]
In 2021, for the Assembly election, Sobha Surendran contested the Kazhakkoottam constituency in the Thiruvananthapuram district and lost to Kadakampally Surendran CPI(M) candidate.[citation needed]
In 2024 general election, she contested from Alappuzha constituency and lost. She managed to make Alappuzha an "A-class" constituency for the BJP, increasing the vote share by 11%. She even managed to finish a very close second (less than 2K votes) in 2 assembly segments of the constituency.[20] [21]
| Election | Year | Constituency | Opponent | Result | Margin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | 2019 | Attingal | INC | Adoor Prakash | Lost | 132,914 | |
| 2024 | Alappuzha | INC | K. C. Venugopal | Lost | 104,912 | ||
| Kerala Legislative Assembly | 2016 | Palakkad | INC | Shafi Parambil | Lost | 17,483 [22] | |
| 2021 | Kazhakootam | CPI(M) | Kadakampally Surendran | Lost | 23,497[23] | ||
After being appointed state vice-president Sobha Surendran was reluctant to take up the post, which triggered a controversy within the Party.[24][25][26][27]
Her statement about welcoming the Indian Union Muslim League into the NDA, in an interview, had caused confusion in the BJP. The BJP state president K. Surendran (politician) refuted her statement.[28][29][30]
In 2018, during the BJP's protest march against the arrest of K. Surendran in Kannur, Sobha made provocative comments against the police and threatened SP Yathish Chandra.[31] She was arrested by the Kerala Police.[32]
Sobha Surendran was one of the key figures arrested by police in the Sabarimala protests.[33][34][35] She fasted for 48 hours in support of the agitation by PSC job seekers in the PSC rank lists in the Secretariat.[36][37] Subsequently, Sobha met with the Kerala Governor and received assurances that he would act in favor of the job aspirants.[38][39][40]
In November 2020, Sobha alleged that the party president, K. Surendran, had organised a political conspiracy against her, both personally and politically, to end her political career.[41] She wrote a complaint letter to BJP national president JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah.[42]
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