Shobha ends her self-imposed political exile
B.ARAVINDA SHETTY
Bengaluru: It may be termed as the end of self-imposed political exile of Shobha Karnadlaje with her induction to Narendra Modi cabinet today evening.
Once a most powerful women politician in Karnataka BJP, Shobha Karnadlaje has maintained a low profile after B.S.Yediyurappa became Chief Minister in 2019 and restricted herself to Delhi politics. Her return to Union cabinet would be a fitting reply to her detractors in the party also family members of the Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa.
Sources close to her disclosed that Shobha Karnadlaje was inducted into Narendra Modi cabinet from Karnataka along with Chitradurga MP, A. Narayanswamy, Rajya Sabha member Rajiv Chandrashekar and Bidar MP, Bhagwanth Khuba
She replaced D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals, who resigned to the Modi cabinet. Mr. Gowda was dropped from Modi cabinet following his non-performance.
Shobha has been inducted to the Modi cabinet from the women and Vokkaliga community quota, representing the Udupi-Chikamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency for the second time.
Known as one of the close aid of the Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa has maintained a low profile after he becomes the Chief Minister for the fourth time in 2019. It was said that that the family members of Yediyurappa have successfully kept her away from the power center.
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Sources also said that family members have not allowed her to meet Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa at his official residence of ‘Kaveri’. One time diehard supporter of B.S.Yediyurappa and always taking side with Yediyurappa’s difficult time distanced herself from Yediyurappa. Neither she supported nor defended Yediyurappa, an ongoing campaign against BSY by his detractors for change of leadership.
Even voters of the Udupi-Chikamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency are unhappy with her for her inaccessibility in the Constituency. She is rarely visiting Udupi-Chikamagaluru Constituency to meet the voters. She was faced stiff opposition from party cadres and voters to contest for the second time in 2019. They have started 'go back Shobha' campaign, requested the party central leadership not to give the ticket to her. But party has given ticket to her, she won against Congress candidate K. Jayaprakash Hegde.
Strained relationship with BSY?
Close confident to Yediyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, the most powerful minister in his cabinet in 2008, handled the RDPR and Energy portfolios. However, her proximity with BSY has irked detractors of BSY; they have insisted on her resignation and threatened to bring down the government. With no option left, Yediyurappa has taken resignation from her to save his chair in 2010.
However, she had followed Yediyurappa when he parted ways from BJP in 2012, floated the political outfit of KJP. Along with Dhananjaykumar, Shobha has followed BSY, contested from KJP ticket in the 2013 Assembly elections. In 2014 she was returned to the bjp fold along with her leader BSY. KJP was merged with BJP.
Strained relationship with BSY has kept her away from the public glare. Even party central leadership has instructed her not to meddle with state politics and not interfere in the administration of the BJP government. Her ideological mentor RSS too, advised her to concentrate on Delhi politics.
Public life
Hailing from Charvaka in Puttur taluk, Shobha has been associated with RSS at an early age. Shobha completed her M.A. in Sociology and Master of Social Work from Open University, Mysore and Roshni Milaya and Mangalore University.
She served the Bharatiya Janata Party organization in various capacities before being elected as an MLC in 2004. She was elected as MLA from Yeswanthpur, Bangalore, in May 2008 and was the minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Energy in the BS Yeddyurappa govt.
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She has taken name and fame for her performance in the RDPR department. Even she effectively handled the Energy portfolio. But it does not go well with her detractors in the party. Dissident activities erupted in the party, citing her growing proximity with the Chief Minister.
She was the power minister in the Jagadish Shettar ministry, handled the additional charge of the Food and Civil Supplies department. She had resigned from BJP and Joined KJP in 2012.
Shobha was appointed as KJP working President. She contested from Rajajinagara constituency from KJP, but she was defeated by Suresh Kumar, BJP candidate, in the 2013 Assembly elections.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, she was elected from Udupi- Chikmagalur constituency and won by a margin of 1.81 lakh votes. In the 2019 General elections, she won consistently for the second time, gaining 7,18,916 votes.
