'Estranged' Kerala BJP leader Sobha Surendran not to contest assembly polls

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 18 (IANS) The 'estranged' top leader of the Kerala unit of the BJP, Sobha Surendran, on Thursday made it clear that she will not be contesting in the upcoming assembly polls."I have made the decision not to contest the upcoming assembly polls and I have informed this to the leadership also. But I will campaign for the party," said Sobha to the media here.She made her first public appearance in a long time when she joined the ongoing protests by youths in front of the Secretariat demanding that all backdoor appointments should be stopped and the Pinarayi Vijayan government should give them jobs by extending PSC lists that have expired.Sobha has been cut up with the state leadership after she was removed as general secretary and appointed vice-president when K. Surendran took over as the new State BJP president last year.Since then she had withdrawn into a shell and was rarely seen at BJP platforms, However, she surprised one and all when she secured an appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi last week and was also present on the tarmac to receive Modi when he made a flying visit to Kochi last Sunday.
--IANS sg/bg