What is happening beneath Kerala's poll-season heat? What kind of pressure, rivalry, or systemic failure is pushing political workers to a point where survival itself feels impossible?
Published Nov 19, 2025 | 5:00 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 19, 2025 | 5:00 PM
Election-related suicides Kerala.
Synopsis: As elections near in Kerala, the state is witnessing an unusual phenomenon — the death by suicide of people, including election-related officials and party workers. The reasons range from work pressure, denial of tickets by parties, financial duress and others. The issue came to the fore at a time when the NCRB data points to an increase in the number of deaths by suicide in the state.
The death by suicide of Election Commission of India (ECI) Booth Level Officer (BLO) Aneesh George in Kannur has jolted Kerala, forcing an uncomfortable conversation about the unbearable pressure faced by those working within the state’s political machinery.
His death came just hours after another tragedy in Thiruvananthapuram, where BJP–RSS activist Anand K Thampi ended his life after allegedly being denied a ticket for the upcoming local body polls.
Only a few hours before that, Mahila Morcha member Shalini Sanil attempted suicide. And on Monday, 17 November, Congress worker C Jayapradeep tried to take his life over a ticket denial in Alappuzha.
These incidents are not isolated flashes.
In September, BJP councillor K Anil Kumar died by suicide inside his office in Thirumala in Thiruvananthapuram, leaving behind allegations of internal party pressure. In October, a CPI(M) local leader was found hanging in the party office at Udayamperoor in Ernakulam, reportedly due to financial distress.
And in Wayanad, the Congress continues to carry the weight of a grim decade — five workers lost, each death tied not to private despair but to the suffocating entanglements of internal party politics.
Switching parties over ticket denial is common in Kerala’s political turf. But taking one’s own life, this scale of desperation demands deeper scrutiny.
What is happening beneath Kerala’s poll-season heat? What kind of pressure, rivalry, or systemic failure is pushing political workers to a point where survival itself feels impossible?
BLO Aneesh George
Family members of Aneesh George have dismissed Kannur Collector Arun K Vijayan’s preliminary report, which claimed that the ECI had not exerted any work-related pressure related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on him.
However, when South First reached out to Shyju, Aneesh’s brother-in-law, he revealed disturbing details about the workload Aneesh had been facing.
According to Shyju, Aneesh had not slept properly for three to four days.
“He was under immense pressure from multiple political parties. He barely ate. He couldn’t even find time to take his sick child to the hospital. He had confided to the family that the workload was unbearable. He was asked to complete 100 percent distribution (of SIR papers) on Monday (17 November). Several officials, including the tahsildar and senior staff from the Collectorate, kept calling every hour to check the progress and demanded that he finish it,” Shyju said.
Shyju’s claims echo the concerns raised by another BLO from Pathanamthitta, Sreejith Irakkavu, who told South First that the pressure to achieve 100 percent completion comes primarily from local officials, not directly from the Election Commission.
A female BLO from Idukki, who requested anonymity, shared similar experiences. She said there is an unhealthy race among officials, including district collectors, to show the highest completion rate during the SIR.
“Each region is different. Unlike Ernakulam or Thiruvananthapuram, we work in high-range areas where travel itself takes hours. Houses are scattered across hills and difficult terrain. How can they expect us to finish enumeration and form distribution in just a few days?” she asked.
Anand K Thampi
Police sources told South First that investigators are preparing to reach out to senior BJP leaders in connection with the death by suicide of BJP–RSS worker Anand K Thampi, though no one has been questioned so far.
The probe by Poojappura police now includes the possibility of abetment, and local BJP leaders may come under scrutiny if evidence supports such charges, sources said.
The incident has put the BJP on the back foot, with both the UDF and LDF highlighting it in their campaigns. After losing the ticket, Anand had considered contesting as an Independent and had even explored a Shiv Sena option in the days before his death.
Former BJP state chief K Surendran has already downplayed the political fallout, saying Anand’s death would not influence the upcoming local body elections.
However, the most controversial remark came from BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar distanced the party from the deceased, claiming Anand had nothing to do with the BJP and had instead taken membership in the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena.
“Anand Thampi was not associated with the BJP. Our information is that he had enrolled in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. It is unfortunate that our opponents are exploiting this tragedy to attack the BJP,” he said.
Echoing this stance, BJP State General Secretary Advocate Suresh asserted that Anand was never considered for a seat because he held no organisational responsibility within the party.
A Shiv Sena activist from Palakkad told South First that despite the party’s split and its presence in both the INDIA bloc and the NDA, most Shiv Sena workers in Kerala still back the BJP.
He questioned whether anyone had ever heard of Shiv Sena workers siding with Congress or the CPI(M), even if they technically belong to the Uddhav Thackeray faction? Such remarks from BJP leaders, he said, are insensitive and overlook past realities.
Shalini Sanil
Meanwhile, Mahila Morcha member Shalini Sanil, who had earlier accused local Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders of personally targeting her and attempting to block her candidature, has now been allotted a seat.
She will contest from Ward 16 in Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking to South First, Shalini said the harassment she faced was unbearable. “RSS leaders attacked me personally with hurtful remarks and spread false allegations. No woman can withstand that kind of pressure, and they were trying hard to stop me from getting the ticket. That is why I reached a breaking point. The party has now recognised my work and sincerity, and that is why they have trusted me with the ticket,” she said.
C Jayapradeep, a Congress leader who attempted suicide, was the booth president of Niranam’s 19th ward in Alappuzha, and reportedly tried to take his life but was rescued by his family in time. He had already begun campaigning by putting up posters and flex boards, and the UDF had initially considered him as their candidate.
He is currently resting, and while his family declined to comment, local leaders said he may still receive a ticket.
The crucial voice note sent by an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to BLOs in Pathanamthitta clearly exposes the pressure within the election machinery. The message warns officers not to take leave, to meet their assigned targets, and to ensure their performance does not fall below the state average.
It also stresses that any lapse in SIR duties will invite disciplinary action.
When South First contacted Booth Level Agent Aneesh G from Kottayam, he said many BLOs were not even fully aware of their allotted locations, and BLA members often had to guide them. He added that the timing of the SIR process in Kerala was poorly planned.
“We also have local body election duties. Most of the time, we accompany BLOs to ensure transparency. We too face stress because we’re juggling multiple responsibilities, and top leaders keep asking for updates. There is also factionalism in every party, even at the local level. A dedicated party worker can’t simply switch parties; instead, some decide to end their lives because what they get in return is total ignorance, even after devoting a lifetime to the party.”
According to Dr Jasmine, a Kochi-based psychiatrist, Kerala’s rising number of deaths by suicide must be viewed seriously without rushing to political conclusions. She noted that deaths by suicide linked to mental-health issues in Kerala are significantly higher (around 17–21 percent) than the national average (around five percent).
“Men die by suicide at nearly three times the rate of women, often due to societal pressure to hide emotional struggles, while women report more attempts. She added that Kerala’s higher figures may also reflect more accurate reporting compared to other states,” she told South First.
Kerala continues to face an alarming rise in deaths by suicide, with the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2023 data placing Kerala at a rate of 30.6 per lakh population — more than double the national average of 12.3. This upward trajectory has been consistent over the past few years, moving from 26.9 in 2021 to 28.5 in 2022 before reaching its current high. Kerala also reported 10,972 suicide deaths in 2023, making up 6.4 percent of all cases nationwide.
Jasmine also warned about a growing ”copy-cat” suicide pattern in the state, known as the Werther effect, where intense or sensationalised reporting of deaths by suicide triggers similar acts among vulnerable individuals.
Media practices in Kerala often worsen the situation, as many outlets still highlight and dramatise such incidents for viewership rather than following responsible reporting guidelines. Regulating this through clear government intervention and stricter media protocols has now become essential, she said.
If you need support or know someone who has suicidal thoughts, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist or contact the helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families. Tele-MANAS: 14416; Life Suicide Prevention: 7893078930; Arogya Vani: 104; Sahay Helpline: 080-25497777; Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
