BJP Candidate's Suicide Ignites Political Firestorm on Eve of Telangana Municipal Elections
The urban local body elections in Telangana, scheduled for February 11 with results on February 13, have been plunged into controversy following the tragic suicide of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. The incident has triggered widespread protests and heated political accusations across the state, including in Hyderabad, casting a shadow over the electoral process.
Protests and Detentions as BJP Alleges Intimidation
On Tuesday, scores of BJP leaders and workers were detained by police in Hyderabad after they attempted to storm the office of the Telangana Director General of Police during a protest. The demonstration was sparked by the death of Erukala Mahadevappa, a 46-year-old BJP candidate from Ward 6 of Makthal municipality in Narayanapet district, whose body was discovered early that morning.
Telangana Police have registered a case of suspicious death under BNSS section 194. A police officer stated, "There was no suicide note. We have not ascertained the reason behind the demise." However, the BJP has vehemently contested this, alleging foul play and political intimidation.
BJP Accuses Congress of Threatening Tactics
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao has accused local Congress leaders of resorting to threats and harassment against BJP candidates, driven by fear of the party's growing influence. Rao claimed that Mahadevappa's wife explicitly linked her husband's suicide to pressure from Congress leaders, alleging that police altered the FIR to cite personal reasons without her informed consent, taking advantage of her lack of education.
Rao announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to Mahadevappa's family and described the deceased as a promising Scheduled Tribe leader who faced "mafia-style intimidation." He asserted, "We performed well in the panchayat elections, which the Congress is unable to digest. They are afraid we will do better in the ULB elections and are threatening our candidates."
Specific Allegations and Demands for Action
The BJP has pointed fingers at supporters of state Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari, the MLA from Makthal, accusing them of relentlessly harassing Mahadevappa. The party has demanded Srihari's dismissal from the state Cabinet and called for an impartial inquiry by the state government. Rao alleged that after a successful BJP rally in Makthal, Congress leaders threatened BJP candidates over the phone, and Mahadevappa was forcibly draped with a Congress scarf, contributing to his distress.
National Echoes in Parliament
The issue has resonated at the national level, with Union minister G Kishan Reddy and Rajya Sabha member Dr K Laxman raising the matter in Parliament, demanding stern action. Kishan Reddy, in a post on X, described the suicide as "not merely an isolated incident; it is a chilling indictment of the political climate prevailing in Telangana under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the Congress party." He emphasized that Mahadevappa, as a young tribal leader, represented grassroots democracy under strain, pointing to a deeper malaise in the state's political environment.
As tensions simmer, the BJP has vowed to continue its fight for justice for Mahadevappa's family, while the upcoming municipal elections proceed under a cloud of controversy and unrest.
