An RSS worker in Thiruvananthapuram died by suicide on Saturday after he reportedly did not receive a BJP ticket for the upcoming local body elections, according to the police.The deceased, Anand K Thampi from Thrikkannapuram, was found hanging in a shed on the premises of his house in the evening.
Police said Thampi had hoped to contest as the BJP candidate from the Thrikkannapuram ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. He became upset after discovering that his name was missing from the candidate list.
Local BJP leaders, however, said Thampi had not approached them for a ticket and claimed that his death should not be linked to the denial of a seat.Before his death, Thampi posted on social media that he would contest as an independent candidate. He also sent a WhatsApp message to his friends in which he made allegations against local RSS and BJP leaders. He claimed he was denied a ticket because of the interests of individuals linked to the sand smuggling mafia. He also wrote that his friends had started distancing themselves after he decided to run independently.
After seeing the message, his friends rushed to his home and took him to the hospital, but he was declared dead by evening.BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he was shocked to hear about the incident. He said that the district leadership had informed him that Thampi’s name had not been included in the shortlist sent from the ward but added that the party would examine the matter.
District BJP leaders repeated that Thampi had never sought a ticket and that his death could not be connected to the party’s decisions. They said the other allegations he made would also be looked into.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leaders said Thampi had approached them for support after the BJP denied him a ticket. They said party leaders had attended a meeting with him on Friday evening and that he had decided to join Shiv Sena and had begun campaigning on Saturday morning.Police have begun an investigation, and a case will be registered based on the statements of his relatives.
