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ShareBangalore: Charvaka, a quiet village with a population of less than 2,000 people, was astir on Monday, as its famous daughter, Shobha Karandlaje, was in deep political trouble. Shobha's unceremonious exit had party workers calling on her brother Lakshman Gowda and expressing their regret over the turn of events.
Armed with a Masters degree in Social Work from Roshni Nilaya School of Social Work, Shobha joined the community medicine department at KMC Manipal as a socio-medical worker in 1998. An ABVP activist, she shot into limelight in 2001 when she took up the "Save Kumaradhara River" campaign and immediately caught the attention of the RSS top brass.
After a short stint as leader of the Rashtriya Sevika Samithi (RSS women's wing) in Mangalore, Shobha moved to Bangalore and became the general secretary of the BJP.
She was the Sangh'snatural choice to be minister when the Yeddyurappa government was voted to power. Her proximity to the chief minister ensured that she was a virtual No 2 in the government and consequently, became a sitting duck for Yeddyurappa's detractors.
Dakshina Kannada BJP president Monappa Bhandari said: "Shobha is a staunch follower of the RSS ideology. We were hoping that she continues to remain in the ministry for the government's full term, which could have yielded many fruits for Dakshina Kannada."
