Beed in Maharashtra sees suicide case surge post-Lok Sabha election
The ruling Mahayuti faced a humbling experience when the opposition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, emerged victorious in the recent Maharashtra Lok Sabha polls, winning 31 of the 48 seats. Almost two weeks after this political tectonic shift, its impact is still felt fresh in Beed district, which has seen a series of suicides and escalating tensions between Maratha and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities.
Suicides linked to political despair and reservation issues
In particular, after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Pankaja Munde was defeated by Bajrang Sonavane of the NCP by just over 6,000 votes, three suicides have been reported. One of them was Pandurang Sonawane, a 30-year-old resident of Dighol Amba village. He allegedly ended his life following Munde's defeat. "I cannot bear it, and therefore I am committing suicide," he wrote in his suicide note. Sonawane's brother, Saudagar, said that he observed his brother behaving unusually after the election results.
Social tensions escalate over reservation benefits
According to India Today, three suicide cases were linked to Munde's electoral loss—two in Beed and one in Latur district. Following these tragic events, Munde has appealed to her supporters via social media not to resort to such drastic actions. Rameshwar Kakde, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student from Jarud taluka, also took his own life over the lack of Maratha reservation benefits. He was allegedly depressed after seeing his OBC classmates secure jobs while he struggled without a caste certificate.
Police response to rising social unrest in Beed
The post-election period has also seen an increase in social tensions, with instances of violence reportedly triggered by objectionable social media posts. Protests have become a daily occurrence in Beed, with supporters of Munde demanding action against those spreading defamatory content online. Beed district Superintendent of Police, Nandkumar Thakur, stated that they have seen "objectionable social media posts" post-elections. The police have filed 36 FIRs and made arrests in connection with these incidents.
