Last month, Anannyah Kumari Alex had created history by becoming the first transgender to contest assembly elections in Kerala.

Now, Anannyah Kumari Alex is withdrawing from the poll fray in the Kerala election. Kumari Alex was all set to be the first transgender person in Kerala to contest the assembly election. She said that she was mentally tortured and that she received death threats from leaders of the Democratic Social Justice Party (DSJP) which nominated her.

Even though the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers has gone by, 28-year-old Alex has decided to end her election campaign. She was nominated from the Vengara constituency in the Malappuram district of Kerala against senior leader PK Kunhalikutty of the Indian Union Muslim League representing the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate P Jiji representing the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

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

Anannyah Kumari Alex said that DSJP leaders threatened to kill her when she opposed them. “They portrayed me as a prostitute and insulted me”, she claimed.

“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,” Alex said.

Anannyah Kumari Alex hails from Peruman in Kollam district of Kerala. She is Kerala’s first transgender radio jockey. She is also a professional makeup artist and a news anchor employed at a private channel.

Kerala has 140 Assembly seats. The term of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala will come to an end on June 01, 2021. The single-phase election in Kerala will take place on April 06, 2021 and the vote counting will be held on May 02.