The alleged suicide of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Anand K. Thampi on Saturday, who sought to blame the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership for his death by accusing them of denying him a ticket in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections, appears to have put the party on the defensive in a raid on local bodies in December.
The incident has left the BJP vulnerable to criticism, both from the opposition and within the party, that the leadership routinely abandons dedicated party workers and sidelines them in candidate selection and organizational progress in favor of arrivistes preferred by the leadership.
Matters seemed to come to a head for the BJP on Sunday as Mahila Morcha leader Salini allegedly attempted suicide and accused the RSS of derailing her electoral chances by “orchestrating” a smear campaign against her. BJP leader VV Rajesh clarified that the party is yet to finalize the selection of candidates in Nedumangad. He said the party would investigate Ms Salini’s complaint.
The developments following the BJP do not seem to bode well for the BJP’s public image. They erupted as the controversy surrounding the suicide of Thirumal councilor K. Anil in October continued in the party. In his “suicide note”, Mr. Anil expressed disillusionment with the BJP leadership for allegedly abandoning him when the cooperative society he headed, a major creditor of party workers, collapsed financially due to defaulted loans.
In addition, the suicide of an RSS worker who said he was a victim of repeated sexual abuse at the hands of an RSS leader provided a sensational move for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) to impeach the BJP in September.
Minister’s visit
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) and the Congress tried to politically implicate the BJP leadership in Anand’s death. CPI(M) state committee member and general education minister V. Sivankutty invited Anand’s family at his home and offered condolences.
Later, Mr Sivankutty said the police would hold accountable those who ‘aided’ Anand’s suicide. Congress president Ramesh Chennithala said the BJP was a troubled house under state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Mr. Chandrasekhar said that Anand had never contested for a party ticket in the Corporation elections. He noted that Anand had joined the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), an ally of the INDIA bloc, and announced his independent candidature.
Published – 16 Nov 2025 22:07 IST
