Soumya Reddy

Sowmya Reddy is an Indian politician from Karnataka and a member of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka from Jayanagar in 2018 .[1] Sowmya Reddy is the daughter of former Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy.[2][3] Sowmya Reddy won from Jayanagar constituency, which was considered to be BJP's stronghold. Sowmya's win means she is the only woman MLA to be elected in Bengaluru alongside 27 men who won earlier.

Sowmya Reddy has over 13 years of experience spanning working in grassroots activism, research, training, community mobilisation, humane education, animal welfare, environmental protection and policy advocacy.[4] While she was in college getting her bachelor's in chemical engineering in RVCE in 2005, she started working with various schools across South India spreading humane education and then got her Masters in Environmental Technology in New York in 2008. Then worked and volunteered with various non-profit organisations in India and abroad addressing animal rights, human rights, environmental research and rights, women's’ rights, LBGT rights such as New York Department of Education, Wetlands Activism Collective, Resource Optimization Initiative, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations, The Hindu newspaper, etc.

An equal rights activist, she makes it the mission of her life to fighting for social justice issues in the country, one of the youngest board members of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests which works on enforcement of animal protective legislation. She is also on the advisory board of Ondede, fighting for child, women and sexual minority rights, a member of Agara lake protection and management society.

A passionate animal rights activist, Sowmya has not only founded Paradigm Shift, an activist centre and vegan restaurant in 2014 she also broke several norms by having a full vegan wedding. Sowmya has won several awards including the Young Achievers Award – Akhila Karnataka Vipra Mahila Prashathana, PETA (People For Ethical Treatment of Animals) – Outstanding contribution for animals.