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 was born into an agricultural family at Wadakkancherry in 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]
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 Keralapolitics.[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 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]
Sobha Surendran was one of the key figures arrested by police in the Sabarimala protests.[24][25][26] She fasted for 48 hours in support of the agitation by PSC job seekers in the PSC rank lists in the Secretariat.[27][28] Subsequently, Sobha met with the Kerala Governor and received assurances that he would act in favor of the job aspirants.[29][30][31]
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.[32] She wrote a complaint letter to BJP national president JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah.[33]
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