First transgender candidate to contest in Kerala assembly elections found dead

Weeks after complaining about a sex-reassignment surgery gone wrong, the first transgender candidate from Kerala to file nomination in the recently held Assembly election, Anannyah Kumari Alex, allegedly killed herself on Tuesday. Alex, who was also the first from her community to become a radio jockey, was found hanging in her flat in Kochi.

Alex had once said if transgenders join the mainstream, then definitely there will be colourful changes in society. She was reportedly working as a make-up artist and a freelance fashion stylist.

In her interview to The Cue, Anannyah had levelled allegations of medical negligence against doctors at Kochi-based Renai MultiSpeciality hospital who perfomed the sex reassignment surgery conducted a year ago in June 2020. She alleged that the surgery was not a success and that the hospital was allegedly denying her treatment records when sought. Anannyah had also said that for the past one year after her surgery, she has been suffering from various issues.

“I’m a victim of gross medical negligence. My private part looks like a piece of meat, it has no resemblance to a vagina. I want to conduct a resurgery, I want justice,” she was quoted as saying in an article by The News Minute.

Earlier, Alex was in the news after she filed her nomination as an Assembly election candidate in the Vengara constituency of Malappuram district. She had set to contest against Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunjalikutty as a Democratic Social Justice Party (DSJP) nominee. However, she suspended her campaign a day before polling, alleging that she was being harassed and received death threats from leaders of her own party. As she could not withdraw her nomination at the time, she urged voters to not extend their support to the DSJP.