Man ends life after not getting ticket to contest elections

A small-time trader in UP's Ghazipur allegedly committed suicide and left behind a note saying that he was taking the extreme step because the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not given him a ticket to contest the 2022 Assembly elections.

In the purported suicide note, the trader, Munnu Prasad, alleged that BSP President Mayawati was demanding Rs20 million to allow him to contest the elections. Since he was not in a position to give the amount, he was ending his life, the note said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Gopinath Soni said they are looking into the veracity of the note and nothing can be said till the investigation is over.

Meanwhile, district BSP coordinator Guddu Ram said that the trader had nothing to do with the party and the alleged suicide note was aimed at maligning the party.

The man's neighbours, however, told police that he used to attend programmes of the party and had claimed that the BSP president would 'give him a ticket in the elections'.

• India