Citing looks, Kerala woman asked to quit polls

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Vijaya Raju, who was chosen as a candidate by the Left parties to contest in Kerala’s local bodies elections, was allegedly asked to withdraw from the polls as she was “not beautiful”.

Vijaya, a washerman by profession, had even completed one round of campaign.

“I feel like committing suicide because this has come as a shame for me. Why did they in the first place asked me to contest elections? Didn’t they see me when they selected me as a candidate? Had they told me this before I started my campaign, then it would have been fine. But this is too much,” said Vijaya, who was to contest from the Shankumughom ward.

This ward, which is reserved for the Scheduled Castes, was alloted to the Communist Party of India as part of the Left parties’ seat-sharing arrangement and she was told to begin her campaign.

Vijaya’s friends and family have rallied to her support and see the action as an insult.

“Is election a beauty contest where such things matter? In an election what matters is if you have the commitment for hard work for the society at large. What was done to her is not acceptable,” said a friend of Vijaya.

With the news spreading like wild fire, the local leadership said the decision was taken due to political reasons and not because she lacked beauty.

The local bodies polls in the state would be held Oct 23 and 25 and the results would be announced 27th.