Shobha Karandlaje is an Indian politician from Karnataka, associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). |
She has held key ministries in state and central governments, including the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in India. |
Despite societal norms against women's education, Shobha earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. |
Growing up in Puttur, Coastal Karnataka, she became a full-time volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at a young age. |
Her political journey began in 1996 as the General Secretary of Udupi District BJP Mahila Morcha. |
In 1998, she became a full-time Karyakarta of BJP and was later elected as an MLC in 2004. |
As the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in Karnataka, she played a pivotal role in the state's recognition for rural development. |
In 2019, she won the Lok Sabha elections with a significant margin, setting a record for the highest votes secured by a woman candidate in Karnataka. |
Her personal assistant filed a complaint against a fraudster using her name for fraudulent activities in June 2022. |
In August 2023, she and other BJP women members filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi for inappropriate behavior towards a Union Minister. |
On 11 December 2023, she assumed the role of Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the Modi government. |