THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The suicide of Anand Kumar Thampi on Saturday caught the BJP leadership off guard, quickly turning into a major political flashpoint. And even as the party rushed to clarify that Anand was not a member, the situation took a turn for the worse on Sunday when a prominent woman activist from Nedumangad attempted suicide over the alleged denial of a seat.
The back-to-back incidents provided fresh ammunition for the Congress and the Left to attack the BJP, placing the party on the defensive ahead of the local-body polls.
Anand was reportedly upset over not being given a ticket. His death triggered immediate political reactions, forcing the BJP to issue a clarification that Anand was not a party worker and had never been part of its candidate list.
According to the party, he was associated with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.
Addressing the developments, BJP state general secretary S Suresh said the party was saddened by Anand’s death but condemned what he described as political exploitation of the tragedy.
“Anand was not a BJP worker, nor was he on our candidate list. Yet the Congress and the Left are using his death as a political weapon. This is cheap politics,” he said.
On the Nedumangad incident, he confirmed that the woman was indeed a BJP worker and said the party would conduct a detailed inquiry.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan criticised the BJP for failing to address grievances within its organisation.
“The BJP will not get even 20 seats in Thiruvananthapuram. The party has sidelined those who stood with it, and workers have no space to raise complaints,” he said.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty also lashed out, alleging that the lives of BJP and RSS workers were increasingly at risk due to internal tensions.
“Recent deaths and allegations from within the BJP point to deep internal strife. Anand’s suicide note even referred to an alleged BJP-RSS nexus with the sand mafia,” he said, while also expressing concern over the Nedumangad suicide attempt.
BJP hits back at CPM, Congress
Palakkad: With political tensions escalating over the suicide of former RSS worker Anand K Thampi, BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday accused both the CPM and Congress of engaging in “vulture politics”. Speaking at a BJP election convention in Shoranur, Chandrasekhar said Anand’s name was never part of the candidate panel forwarded by local BJP committees. He reiterated that preliminary information suggested Anand had later joined the Shiv Sena (UBT), and said attempts to tie the incident to the BJP were politically motivated.
KPCC flags series of BJP worker suicides
T’Puram: KPCC general secretary Manacaud Suresh on Sunday alleged that a series of suicid es involving BJP and RSS workers in the state has raised serious questions about the functioning of the BJP and sought clarification from the BJP state leadership. Suresh pointed out that these incidents show how violence and killings have become a part of the BJP’s organisational culture.
