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    Sobha Surendran

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 7 min

    Sobha Surendran
    Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala
    Personal details
    Born1974 (1974) (age 50)
    Thrissur, Kerala, India
    Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
    SpouseK. K. Surendran
    Children2
    Residence(s)Thrissur, Kerala
    Alma materUniversity of Calicut
    Occupation
    • Politician
    • Social worker

    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. She gained public support during her election contest in palakkad, Attingal,Aalppuzha . Sobha is the first woman politician from Kerala to hold a position at the national level and also the first stare vice president of a mainstream party from Kerala .[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]

    Personal life

    [edit]

    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]

    Political career

    [edit]

    Sobha was the state president of the Mahila Morcha.[11] She was a member of the party's core committee and was the state general secretary of the party.[12] She was later moved from state general secretary to vice-president.[13]

    Elections

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    In 2016, there was a close contest and she came second with 40,087 votes.[14] 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.[15]

    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.[16][17]

    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.[18] [19]

    Election candidature history
    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 [20]
    2021 Kazhakootam CPI(M) Kadakampally Surendran Lost 23,497[21]

    Controversies

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    After being appointed state vice-president Sobha Surendran was reluctant to take up the post, which triggered a controversy within the Party.[22][23][24][25]

    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.[26][27][28]

    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.[29] She was arrested by the Kerala Police.[30]

    Protests and struggles

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    Sobha Surendran was one of the key figures arrested by police in the Sabarimala protests.[31][32][33] She fasted for 48 hours in support of the agitation by PSC job seekers in the PSC rank lists in the Secretariat.[34][35] Subsequently, Sobha met with the Kerala Governor and received assurances that he would act in favor of the job aspirants.[36][37][38]

    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.[39] She wrote a complaint letter to BJP national president JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah.[40]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ "BJP the first woman politician from Kerala BJP". malayalam.samayam.com.
    2. ^ https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/who-will-lead-bjp-in-kerala-next-sobha-surendran-has-a-high-probability-heres-why/
    3. ^ https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1319319&u=
    4. ^ "Chennai Petroleum Corporation Management Information - Details of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Management - The Economic Times". economictimes.indiatimes.com.
    5. ^ Naha, Abdul Latheef (28 April 2016). "BJP's power couple - The Hindu". The Hindu.
    6. ^ "Kerala elections 2021: BJP's Sobha Surendran puts state leadership in the dock over denial of ticket- The New Indian Express". 15 March 2021.
    7. ^ "Choice of BJP candidates upsets many supporters in Kerala". 28 April 2016.
    8. ^ {{cite web title=Biodata of Shobha%20Surendran|url=http://keralaassembly.org/lok/sabha/biodata.php4?no=120&name=Shobha%20Surendran%7Cwebsite=keralaassembly.org%7Caccess-date=10 March 2019}}
    9. ^ "Husband-wife Duo to Try Luck in Kerala Polls- The New Indian Express". 16 April 2016.
    10. ^ https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/bjp-kerala-1.6073473
    11. ^ "Absence of woman leader at the helm leaves BJP worried". The New Indian Express. 29 November 2020.
    12. ^ Naha, Abdul Latheef (28 April 2016). "BJP's power couple". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
    13. ^ "Sobha Surendran's outburst exposes chinks in Kerala BJP". The New Indian Express. 2 November 2020.
    14. ^ "Palakkad Assembly Election 2016 Latest News & Results". India.com. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
    15. ^ Chandran, Cynthia (12 April 2019). "Left sitting pretty in its Attingal bastion". Deccan Chronicle.
    16. ^ "Attingal Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 Live: Attingal Constituency Election Results, News, Candidates, Vote Paercentage". News18. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
    17. ^ "Lok Sabha: India general election results 2019". 22 May 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
    18. ^ "Lok Sabha poll: BJP fields a mix of high-profile veterans and new faces in 12 seats in Kerala". The Hindu. 2 March 2024.
    19. ^ "Shobha Surendran stuns CPM strongholds with record votes - KERALA - GENERAL | Kerala Kaumudi Online".
    20. ^ "Kerala Assembly Election - 2016". Elections.in. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
    21. ^ "Kerala Assembly Election - 2021". Elections.in. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
    22. ^ Anandan, S. (4 February 2021). "Sobha Surendran falls in line, attends BJP meet". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
    23. ^ "Kerala BJP leader Sobha Surendran alleges bid in state unit to humiliate her". 2 November 2020.
    24. ^ "Attempt at disciplinary action against Sobha Surendran foiled". The New Indian Express. 25 December 2020.
    25. ^ "Sobha's outburst brings unusual camaraderie in BJP | Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India". The Times of India. 2 November 2020.
    26. ^ "Sobha invites IUML to NDA fold, leaves K Surendran in a spot". The New Indian Express. 28 February 2021.
    27. ^ "Kerala: BJP leaders blow hot and cold on IUML ties | Kochi News - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 February 2021.
    28. ^ "BJP list earns Sobha Surendran's sarcasm | Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India". The Times of India. 15 March 2021.
    29. ^ "Shobha Surendran booked for provocative statements against Kerala cops". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    30. ^ "BJP leader Sobha Surendran booked for threatening remarks against Kerala police". The News Minute. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    31. ^ "Sabarimala issue: Fasting BJP leader Shobha Surendran arrested, shifted to hospital". The New Indian Express. 28 December 2018.
    32. ^ "Sabarimala strike: BJP leader Sobha takes over fast as CK Padmanabhan is hospitalised". The News Minute. 20 December 2018.
    33. ^ "Sabarimala row: BJP leader on hunger strike arrested, shifted to hospital". ANI News.
    34. ^ "Sobha's presence in PSC job aspirants' stir lands BJP in a fix". The New Indian Express. 19 February 2021.
    35. ^ "Sobha Surendran stages sit-in protest to support PSC rank holders' issue". Mathrubhumi. 17 February 2021.
    36. ^ "Sobha Surendran arranges talks between Guv, PSC agitators". The New Indian Express. 20 February 2021.
    37. ^ "Governor's intervention in PSC job seekers' stir a turning point: Sobha Surendran". The New Indian Express. 21 February 2021.
    38. ^ Gopie, Sajitha (20 February 2021). "Sobha-surendran-about-meeting-governor-over". malayalam.oneindia.com.
    39. ^ "K Surendran conspired against me, says Sobha". The New Indian Express. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    40. ^ "Sobha Surendran accuses K Surendran of trying to end her political career". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
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