In Thiruvananthapuram, a BJP worker named Anand K. Thampi took his own life on Saturday after the party did not select him to contest the upcoming municipal elections. Thampi, who lived in the Thrikkannapuram ward, had previously been announced as the BJP’s candidate for the ward, but his name was missing from the final list.
BJP officials say the shortlist had already been prepared, and Thampi’s name was never officially considered. He had decided to run as an independent candidate, but the setback seemed to push him to the brink. Minutes before his death, a WhatsApp message from Thampi surfaced—addressing friends and the media. In it, he accused BJP and RSS leaders of ignoring his candidacy and alleged misconduct by some party members. He also requested that no BJP or RSS figure come to pay his respects.
He hanged himself at home. His friends, family and police rushed him to a hospital, but the ambulance registered him as dead after ten minutes.
The incident is a blow to the BJP, which had hoped to unseat the ruling CPI‑M‑led Left from the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Today, the BJP holds 35 seats in the city council, the Left has 51, and the Congress‑led UDF holds just 10 seats. The party’s confidence has been shaken as it faces scrutiny over candidate selection and internal dissent.
The tragedy has drawn widespread attention to the pressures faced by local politicians in Kerala’s competitive municipal politics.
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