Nivedida Subramanian, BJP's Experimental Candidate From Ponnani (image@AdvNivedida)

As an attempt to make its presence in Ponnani, a Muslim League citadel, BJP gave ticket to Nivedida Subramanian. If not expecting to win the seat, BJP is testing the water on Ponnani to at least make its presence felt.

Subramanian is the State President of BJP’s Mahila Morcha, the Women wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She became more known to the Kerala voters when she was seen standing alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state.

Nivedida Subramanian was seen standing beside PM Modi during his road show in Trissur on January 4. It was, Subramanian, who organised Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Sthree Shakthi’ meet in Trissur district.

Nivedida Subramanian’s maiden fight in election at the age of 45 back in 2016 from Guruvayur. She was introduced to politics from a very young age of three, when she was taken to jail along with her mother Radha Balakrishnan. Subramanian’s mother was jailed during Indira Gandhi Emergency period. The mother was arrested for participating in the protest march organized against the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Though the little Nivedida Subramanian was spared by the police, she was not ready to part ways with her mother.

Reportedly, the mother and daughter spent one month in Palakkad Kotta jail. Her mother Radha Balakrishnan also served as state president of Mahila Morcha. She died in 2013. Subramanian, lost her husband and in-laws in a car crash in 2007.