Thiruvananthapuram: Nisha Jose, 45, wife of Rajya Sabha member Jose K. Mani, has been nursing political ambitions for quite some time with a section of the KC (M) leaders opposing her earlier attempts to contest. If luck favours, Nisha will contest from Pala.
Nisha’s Twitter profile reads “Social enabler, responsible diver and author”. Yes, she is a deep sea diver. “There is a beautiful world out there in the depths of the ocean,” she says. Nisha agreed to talk to DC on anything except politics. Daughter of coir exporter M.C. John and social worker Rosy John based in Alappuzha, Nisha was a Miss Kerala winner in 1991. She is a cost accountant professional and holds masters in human resources management from Symbiosis Institute, Pune. Recently, she released her memoirs, The other side of this life which was released by Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bai, member of the erstwhile Travancore Royal family. Her book led to a controversy with her #MeToo moment where she alleged that she was harassed aboard a moving train by a politician’s son currently attached to the NDA.
“I was never interested in politics during my student life or even after marriage to Jose K. Mani in 1994. I will be in the forefront of KC (M) irrespective of who is going to be the candidate for Pala byelection. In a week it will be known who will be the candidate. If you go through my Facebook pages, you will get to know me,” said Nisha Jose.
It was after marriage that she took an interest in deep sea diving. Rece-ntly, she dived in Krabi province in Thailand, on the shores of Andaman Sea. She says she is keen to promote perils of plastics. “I never carry plastics and whenever I go for shopping, I carry only organic materials. If at all I decide to go for take away food, I ensure the food is being carried in my casserole that raises eyebrows,” added Nisha.
She has three children, Priyanka, 23, Ritika, 21, and K.M. Mani Junior, 16.
Ever since Jose K. Mani stepped down from Kottayam Lok Sabha seat and entered the Upper House, rumours were rife that it was a ploy to field Nisha from the seat.
This had not gone down well with the rival P. J. Joseph faction where they demanded that Kottayam Lok Sabha seat belongs to them. By then, K. M. Mani’s health condition deteriorated and just days before his death, Thomas Chazhikadan was chosen as the candidate who went on to win the seat. This has resulted for the Pala by-election on Sept. 23.
