Muraleedharan credited with strengthening Kerala BJP at grassroot level

It was a meteroic rise for Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, who was sworn in as minister of state with Independent charge in the second term of Narendra Modi cabinet.

Beginning his political innings as an activist of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1975 during the Emergency, Muraleedharan, hails from the port town of Thalassery in the politcally volatile Kannur district, which has often seen clashes between CPI(M) and BJP workers.

Appointed the state Organising secretary of ABVP in 1983 at the age of 25, he went on to hold various responsibilities in the students union, including All India General Secretary of ABVP from 1994-96.

He had also served as BJP Kerala state president for two terms.

A Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Muraleedharan is the General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.

Among the various positions he had held so far are Director General Nehru Yuvak Kendra and All India general secretary of ABVP