Sobha Surendran

Sobha Surendran
Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala
Personal details
Born	1974 (1974) (age 50) Thrissur, Kerala, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	K. K. Surendran
Children	2
Residence(s)	Thrissur, Kerala
Alma mater	University 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. 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]

Personal life

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

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]

Elections

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 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 [22]
	2021	Kazhakootam		CPI(M)	Kadakampally Surendran	Lost	23,497[23]

Controversies

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]

Protests and struggles

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]

References

1. "BJP the first woman politician from Kerala BJP". malayalam.samayam.com.
2. Soman, Sreelakshmi (9 November 2024). "Who will lead BJP in Kerala next? Sobha Surendran has a high probability: Here's why". The South First.
3. Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Shobha Surendran stuns CPM strongholds with record votes". Keralakaumudi Daily.
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. "Never gone after post: Sobha Surendran after rumour of joining CPM". English.Mathrubhumi. 9 October 2021.
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. "Kerala elections: Sobha Surendran's steady, tenacious fight to prize Kerala ticket". 5 April 2021.
15. "Sobha Surendran". India Today.
16. "Palakkad Assembly Election 2016 Latest News & Results". India.com. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
17. Chandran, Cynthia (12 April 2019). "Left sitting pretty in its Attingal bastion". Deccan Chronicle.
18. "Attingal Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 Live: Attingal Constituency Election Results, News, Candidates, Vote Paercentage". News18. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
19. "Lok Sabha: India general election results 2019". 22 May 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
20. "Lok Sabha poll: BJP fields a mix of high-profile veterans and new faces in 12 seats in Kerala". The Hindu. 2 March 2024.
21. Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Shobha Surendran stuns CPM strongholds with record votes". Keralakaumudi Daily.
22. "Kerala Assembly Election - 2016". Elections.in. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
23. "Kerala Assembly Election - 2021". Elections.in. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
24. Anandan, S. (4 February 2021). "Sobha Surendran falls in line, attends BJP meet". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
25. "Kerala BJP leader Sobha Surendran alleges bid in state unit to humiliate her". 2 November 2020.
26. "Attempt at disciplinary action against Sobha Surendran foiled". The New Indian Express. 25 December 2020.
27. "Sobha's outburst brings unusual camaraderie in BJP | Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India". The Times of India. 2 November 2020.
28. "Sobha invites IUML to NDA fold, leaves K Surendran in a spot". The New Indian Express. 28 February 2021.
29. "Kerala: BJP leaders blow hot and cold on IUML ties | Kochi News - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 February 2021.
30. "BJP list earns Sobha Surendran's sarcasm | Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India". The Times of India. 15 March 2021.
31. "Shobha Surendran booked for provocative statements against Kerala cops". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
32. "BJP leader Sobha Surendran booked for threatening remarks against Kerala police". The News Minute. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
33. "Sabarimala issue: Fasting BJP leader Shobha Surendran arrested, shifted to hospital". The New Indian Express. 28 December 2018.
34. "Sabarimala strike: BJP leader Sobha takes over fast as CK Padmanabhan is hospitalised". The News Minute. 20 December 2018.
35. "Sabarimala row: BJP leader on hunger strike arrested, shifted to hospital". ANI News.
36. "Sobha's presence in PSC job aspirants' stir lands BJP in a fix". The New Indian Express. 19 February 2021.
37. "Sobha Surendran stages sit-in protest to support PSC rank holders' issue". Mathrubhumi. 17 February 2021.
38. "Sobha Surendran arranges talks between Guv, PSC agitators". The New Indian Express. 20 February 2021.
39. "Governor's intervention in PSC job seekers' stir a turning point: Sobha Surendran". The New Indian Express. 21 February 2021.
40. Gopie, Sajitha (20 February 2021). "Sobha-surendran-about-meeting-governor-over". malayalam.oneindia.com.
41. "K Surendran conspired against me, says Sobha". The New Indian Express. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
42. "Sobha Surendran accuses K Surendran of trying to end her political career". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 18 March 2021.

External links

• Sobha Surendran on Facebook