Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Thiruvananthapuram, November 16 (IANS) Anand K. Amid growing criticism following the suicide of Thampi, who reportedly took his life after being denied a BJP seat in the upcoming local body elections, the party leadership in Kerala has strongly denied that he was ever associated with the party.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrashekhar said Anand was not a party member and, in fact, he had joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
Chandrashekhar said, “Anand Thampi was not a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Our information is that he had taken membership of Shiv Sena under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. It is unfortunate that political opponents are trying to use this tragedy to target the BJP.”
Supporting this stance, BJP state general secretary Adv. Suresh clarified that Anand was never considered a potential candidate for the local body elections as he had no organizational ties with the party.
Suresh said, “It is very sad to hear about Anand’s suicide. But the fact is that he was never active in the BJP. He was not a worker, nor was he involved in our activities. Naturally, he was not included among the potential candidates.”
He said that internal investigation has confirmed that Anand is not associated with BJP, but with Shiv Sena (UBT). “Our political opponents are using his death as a weapon to tarnish the image of the BJP,” he said.
Anand K, resident of Jai Nagar, Tirumala. Thampi died by suicide on Saturday. There was an uproar over his death, especially after a suicide note surfaced in which he reportedly said that he was extremely distressed over not getting a ticket from the BJP.
Opposition parties alleged that intense factionalism within the BJP and candidate selection controversies had driven Anand into despair. Many local leaders questioned the BJP’s attempt to distance itself from the deceased, especially since his note clearly mentioned his disappointment at not being allotted a seat.
The controversy has heightened tension in political circles in Thiruvananthapuram, with allegations being made by parties over handling of candidate lists and putting pressure on grassroots candidates.
As the investigation continues, Anand’s family and local residents have demanded a transparent investigation into the events leading to his death. However, the BJP says the attempts to drag the party into the controversy are politically motivated and not supported by facts.
–IANS
AL/DPB