Shobha Karandlaje Age, Caste, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Nickname	Shobhakka
Profession	Politician
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Politics
Political Party	• Bharatiya Janata Party (1998 to 2012; 2014–present) • Karnataka Janata Paksha (2012–2014)
Political Journey	• In 1996, she became the General Secretary of Udupi District BJP Mahila Morcha and later as the State Secretary and General Secretary of Mahila Morcha. • In 1998, she became a full-time BJP Karyakarta. • From 15 June 2004 to 27 May 2008, she was a Member of Karnataka Legislative Council. • From 2008 to 2013, she was an MLA from Yeshwanthapura, Bangalore. • From 30 May 2008 to 9 November 2009, she was the Minister of Rural Development in the Government of Karnataka. • From 12 December 2010 to 12 July 2012, she was the Minister of Food & Civil Supplies in the Government of Karnataka. • From 22 September 2010 to 23 January 2013, she was the Minister of Energy in the Government of Karnataka. • In 2012, she left the BJP and joined the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) formed by B. S. Yediyurappa and became its Working President. • In 2013, she contested the Karnataka assembly elections from the Rajaji Nagar constituency on a ticket of the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) and came third. • In January 2014, she returned to the BJP after her party KJP merged with BJP. • She won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency with a margin of 1.81 Lakh Votes. • In 2019, she was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency with a whopping margin of 3.49 lakh votes. • On 7 July 2021, she became the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Government of India. • On 7 December 2023, she became the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the Government of India. • She won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Bangalore North seat by 2,59,476 votes.
Personal Life
Date of Birth	23 October 1966 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2023)	57 Years
Birthplace	Charwaka Post, Puttur Taluk, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India
Zodiac sign	Scorpio
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Puttur, Karnataka
College/University	• St. Philomena College, Puttur • Mangalore University • Mysuru University
Educational Qualification(s) [1]Shobha Karandlaje - Official Website	• BA from St. Philomena College • Master of Social Work from Mangalore University • MA (Sociology) from Mysuru University
Religion	Hinduism [2]India Today
Caste	Vokkaliga [3]The New Indian Express
Address	Karandlaje House, Charwaka Village, Puttur Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka
Controversies	• Booked for spreading religious hatred In January 2020, an FIR was registered against her by the Kerala Police on charges of promoting religious hatred. The FIR was based on a tweet in which she alleged that several Hindu families in Malappuram district were being denied water as they supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. She had tweeted, “Kerala is taking baby steps to become another Kashmir. Hindus of Kuttipuram panchayat were denied water supply as they supported CAA-2019.” [4]The Indian Express • Controversial statement on Kerala migrants In February 2020, she attracted controversy when she called for greater scrutiny on migrants from Kerala in Karnataka. She tweeted, "Kerala is turning out to be the safest den of religious extremist Jihadi elements!" [5]The Print • Flouted ban orders In July 2020, she visited a temple atop Chamundi Hills, flouting the order restricting entry of devotees and public to the temple amid the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Devotees/public criticised her visit to the temple, saying that such preferential treatment to VVIPs was unfair. [6]The Times of India • Booked for violating the Representation of People Act On 20 March 2024, she was booked under 23 (3A), 125 and 123 (3) of the Representation of People Act after the DMK's complaint to the Election Commission. She was accused of linking the suspect in the Rameshwaram cafe blast with Tamil Nadu during a protest in Bengaluru. [7]Hindustan Times
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried [8]The Print
Affairs/Boyfriends	In October 2016, Padmanabha Prasanna, the founder president of Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) alleged that former chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa and Shobha Karandlaje had been in a relationship, and they even got married in a temple in Kerala in a secret wedding ceremony. [9]Deccan Chronicle
Family
Parents	Father- Monappa Gowda (deceased) Mother- Poovakka
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Toyota Innova (KA 02 MH 5886)
Bike Collection	Honda Activa (KA 04 JR 8678)
Money Factor
Salary (as an MP)	Rs. 1 lakh + Other allowances
Assets/Properties [10]My Neta	Movable • Cash: Rs. 1.29 lakh • Bank Deposits: Rs. 76.5 lakh • Bonds/Shares: Rs. 50 thousand • LIC and other policies: Rs. 11.6 lakh • Motor Vehicles: Rs. 17 lakh • Jewellery: Rs. 55 lakh • Gun: Rs. 25 thousand Immovable • Non-agricultural land in Puttur: Rs. 10 lakh • Residential building in Bengaluru: Rs. 3 crore Note: These estimates are according to the year 2019.
Net Worth (approx.)	Rs. 10 crores (as of 2019) [11]My Neta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shobha Karandlaje

• Shobha Karandlaje is an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Karnataka. She has held many key ministries in both state and central governments including the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) of the Government of India.

• Although she belonged to a society that did not encourage education for women, Shobha earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees.

• While growing up in Puttur, Coastal Karnataka, she joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at a very early age, becoming one of the full-time volunteers of the Sangh Parivar.

• Her political career was launched in 1996 when she became the General Secretary of Udupi District BJP Mahila Morcha. Later, she also served the party as the State Secretary and General Secretary of Mahila Morcha.

• After becoming a full-time Karyakarta of BJP in 1998, her first prominent position came in 2004 when she was elected as an MLC.
  

  A picture of Shobha Karandlaje from the initial days of her political career

• During her tenure as the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) in the BJP-led Karnataka government, from May 2008 to November 2009, Karnataka was awarded as the No. 1 State in India in Rural Development and Panchayath Raj. Apart from bringing an additional grant of Rs. 800.00 Crores for Road Development from the Central Government, she played a crucial role in bringing an additional grant of Rs. 1200.00 Crores from the World Bank, providing drinking water and basic amenities for rural areas.

• In 2009, she had to resign as the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) amid a political crisis; however, she was re-instated in 2010 and was given the Energy portfolio.

• Shobha Karandlaje won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a whopping margin of 3.49 lakh votes, which is considered the highest-ever margin secured by a women candidate in Karnataka. ^[12]Shobha Karandlaje – Official Website

• In June 2022, Varun Aditya, personal assistant to Shobha Karandlaje, filed a complaint against a fraudster named Prakash, claiming to be an aide of Shobha Karandlaje, at the Sanjaynagar police station in Bengaluru, accusing him of using Shobha’s name to collect funds from landowners and businessmen. ^[13]The Indian Express

• In August 2023, Shobha Karandlaje and other women members of the BJP filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of ‘indecent’ behaviour and ‘inappropriate’ gestures towards Union Minister Smriti Irani in the House. While demanding stringent action against Rahul Gandhi, Shobha Karandlaje submitted the letter signed by 21 women BJP members at the Speaker’s chamber. ^[14]India Today
  

  Shobha Karandlaje submitted the letter signed by 21 women BJP members at the Speaker’s chamber against Rahul Gandhi in August 2023

• On 11 December 2023, she took charge as the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the Modi government.
  

  On 11 December 2023, Shobha Karandlaje assumed charge as MoS of MoFPI