Used By The Party Leaders: Kerala's First Transgender Candidate Withdraws

Kerala transgender candidate withdraws: Anannyah Kumari Alex, who made history as the first transgender candidate to contest in the Kerala assembly polls, has decided to withdraw from campaigning from the Vengara constituency. 28-year-old Alex, a candidate of the Democratic Social Justice Party (DSJP), alleged that she was mentally tortured and received death threats from leaders of her own party.

This was set to mark Alex’s first attempt in politics as she was contesting from the Vengara constituency in the Malappuram district of Kerala against Muslim League candidate PK Kunhalikutty and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate P Jiji. Calling her own party anti-women and anti-transgender, Alex explained that the DSJP leaders "forced me to speak poorly" of opposition candidate and "to criticize" the LDF government.

She said. "I was also forced by the party leaders to observe pardah during the election campaign. The harassment came after I said that I would not do anything which would surrender my personality."

Initially, they had considered another famous transgender. As she refused the offer to become a candidate of the party, they approached me: Anannyah Kumari Alex, Kerala transgender candidate withdraws name

Alex continued, “I was used by DSJP party leaders. They had some plans and reasons for putting me in the front. But I didn't understand that earlier. I have a personality and my own opinions, and I am not ready to surrender that.”

She also alleged that the party leaders have threatened to kill her when she spoke against them. "They portrayed me as a prostitute and insulted me," she claimed. Read who is Anannyah Kumari Alex?

"I wanted to contest the election to ensure representation and equality for transgender people in Kerala. But it was the party that instructed me to contest from the Vengara constituency. It was not my decision initially," said Alex, who is also Kerala's first transgender radio jockey. She hails from Peruman in Kollam district of Kerala.