With the induction of two-time MP Shobha Karandlaje representing Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency into the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday as a Minister of State, the coastal region has been given representation in its true sense. Though D.V. Sadananda Gowda hails from Dakshina Kannada, he represented Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency.
A one-time MLC (2004) and MLA (2008), a Cabinet Minister in the State between 2008-2013 and two -time MP (2014 and 2019) representing Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Ms. Karandlaje hails from Charvaka village in Puttur taluk, Dakshina Kannada.
She held portfolios of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the B.S. Yediyurappa government and Energy in the Jagadish Shettar government.
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The 54-year-old Parliamentarian acquired her bachelors degree from St. Philomena College, Puttur, MA in Social Work from Mangalore University and MA in Sociology from Mysore University.
Ms. Karandlaje grew up under RSS ideology and held different positions starting from general secretary of BJP’s Udupi district Mahila Morcha. In 2004, she became a member of the Legislative Council and then MLA representing Yeshwantpur constituency in Bengaluru in 2008.
While a section of BJP supporters in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency opposed her renomination in the 2019 polls claiming that she was not available to voters, Ms. Karandlaje was renominated and she won by a margin of 3.49 lakh votes against Pramod Madhwaraj, who was in the Janata Dal (S) then. She had defeated K. Jayaprakash Hegde, then in the Congress and now in the BJP, with a margin of 1.81 lakh votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
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Termed as a firebrand leader for Hindutva cause, Ms. Karandlaje will respond immediately to issues and concerns of general public as admitted by BJP insiders. She is equally vocal on issues concerning women empowerment and injustice to them, they say.