Kerala BJP Crisis: Mahila Morcha Activist Attempts Suicide Over Ticket Denial Fears

A Mahila Morcha activist and district secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's women's wing attempted suicide early Sunday in Nedumangad, allegedly due to anxiety over not receiving a ticket for the upcoming local body elections in the Nedumangad municipality. Police confirmed that Salini, a resident of Panaykottala ward, inflicted injuries to her wrist around midnight, prompting her son to rush her to a local hospital where she received preliminary treatment and was discharged later that morning with stable condition.

The incident, which occurred hours after an RSS activist's suicide in Thiruvananthapuram over similar ticket denial allegations, has spotlighted internal frictions within the BJP and its affiliates ahead of Kerala's local body polls scheduled for December 2025. Salini, who has been actively campaigning in her ward, told reporters that her candidacy for the Panaykottala ward was initially confirmed by party leadership. However, she accused a few RSS and Mahila Morcha activists from the Karipur branch of launching a smear campaign with false allegations against her, pressuring the party to reconsider her nomination due to personal grudges.

Poojappura police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for the related RSS activist Anand K Thampi's suicide on Saturday, where he was found hanging after expressing despair over being excluded from the BJP's candidate list for Thrikkannapuram ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Thampi had announced his intent to contest independently via social media and sent messages alleging RSS leader interference before the act. BJP sources, however, clarified that Salini's ticket remains intact, stating she will be fielded in the contested ward, and the party has assured an internal probe into the complaints.

The back-to-back events have drawn criticism from opposition figures, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor calling for a thorough investigation into party dynamics, while BJP state president K Surendran dismissed the incidents as isolated and pledged support for affected workers. The Kerala local body elections, involving over 20,000 wards across municipalities and panchayats, are a key battleground for the BJP aiming to expand its footprint beyond its 2020 tally of 97 seats. Mental health experts have highlighted the toll of political aspirations, urging counseling for activists amid high-stakes selections