Crisis brews in Kerala BJP with cadre suicides in Thiruvananthapuram

On Saturday (November 15) evening, Anand K Thambi, a long-time RSS worker and an aspiring candidate for the Thrikkannapuram ward of Thiruvananthapuram corporation in the coming local body elections, died by suicide at his home in the capital city. His death has become the third involving BJP or RSS workers in the district in recent weeks, intensifying scrutiny over issues ranging from internal pressures and factional disputes to alleged sexual harassment by leaders.

Anand left behind a detailed note describing the circumstances that led to his decision. He wrote that he had been active with the RSS since the age of 16, held student leadership roles during his college years and later worked as a trainer in Kozhikode before returning to Thiruvananthapuram.

In the note, he stated that he wanted to contest the Thrikkannapuram ward on a BJP ticket, but claimed that a dominant local group influenced the nomination in favour of another candidate. Moreover, he alleged, the candidate is linked to a local sand mining ’mafia’. He wrote that his independent decision to contest after being denied the party ticket triggered pressure and opposition from both RSS and BJP workers in the area.

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The note also listed business-related liabilities and family issues as well but placed the emphasis squarely on political isolation, organisational pressure and the breakdown of support from colleagues.

“The biggest mistake I made in my life was living as an RSS worker. The identity of an RSS worker, which stayed with me until just before my death, is what pushed me to this point. My body should not be shown to any BJP or RSS leaders. Bury it wherever you can,” read the note.

Political opponents have already begun to frame the suicides as evidence of disarray within the BJP, asking whether deeper problems in cadre management and grievance handling exist. Senior BJP leaders, meanwhile, are attempting to contain the fallout and ensure that workers remain mobilised for the election cycle.

V Joy, CPI(M) district secretary told The Federal, “Suicides within the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram district are turning into a continuing pattern. The new incident has occurred at a time when serious allegations against the BJP leadership remain unresolved in connection with the earlier suicide of Thirumala councillor Anilkumar. The pressure and threats from the leadership are being cited as the reason for the latest death. The facts must be brought out through a comprehensive investigation."

However, the BJP has rejected the allegations. “It’s an unfortunate incident,” said state party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Further, he clarified that the deceased’s name was not included in the list prepared by the local leadership and added that the party would look into the matter.

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Former Union Minister V Muraleedharan also dismissed the claim that the issue was linked to candidature. “Who will believe it if someone says the BJP and RSS have sand mafia links?” he asked, referring to the deceased’s allegation in his suicide note that the leadership had connections with the sand mining mafia.

Anand’s death comes at a time when the BJP unit in Thiruvananthapuram has not fully recovered from the shock of another recent loss.

K Anil Kumar, the BJP’s Thirumala councillor, has accused his "own" men of not repaying huge loans taken from a cooperative led by him and not receiving adequate backing from his leadership

In late September, K Anil Kumar, the BJP’s Thirumala councillor and a senior office-bearer in the city unit, was found dead in the ward council office. His death drew significant attention inside the party, since he had accused his ‘own men’ of not repaying huge loans taken from a cooperative led by him.

In the note which is believed to be written by Kumar, he referred to financial strain linked to a cooperative society and a sense of not receiving adequate backing from the leadership.

The episode had unsettled the local unit and sparked debates about internal support systems, and it remains a reference point for many within the organisation as they process the latest incident.

Adding further complexity is the case of 26-year-old IT professional and former RSS worker Ananthu Aji, who died by suicide a few weeks earlier.

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Before taking his life, he scheduled a note and video on Instagram in which he accused an RSS leader of sexually abusing him during his adolescence. He had also accused the RSS as an organisation of having a history of sexually abusing boys at its training camps.

The allegations, which the RSS denied, opened conversations across Kerala about the mechanisms available within the Sangh Parivar for addressing serious complaints and safeguarding young workers.

Former RSS worker Ananthu Aji, who died by suicide a few weeks earlier, has alleged that he was sexually abused by a RSS leader in his adolescence

His disclosures, coupled with the public manner of their release, stirred unease among the cadre.

Although the three incidents emerged from separate contexts, their close timing has created a sense of cumulative strain within the Thiruvananthapuram BJP. The common thread between the three deaths is found not in their causes, but in the organisational environment their stories have laid bare.

With campaigning for the LSG elections 2025 about to intensify, BJP faces the task of reassuring its cadre, repairing internal confidence and demonstrating that it can address the various stresses that have surfaced so starkly in recent weeks.