Following intensified public criticism from the family of NM Vijayan, the late Treasurer of the Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC), the Congress leadership has initiated steps to engage with the family and resolve the issue at the earliest.

A team led by MLA AP Anilkumar is expected to meet the family soon to address their grievances. Vijayan and his younger son, Jijesh, died by suicide in December 2024, reportedly due to mounting debt incurred during fundraising efforts for the Congress party while he served as DCC treasurer.

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Speaking to the media on Sunday, Vijayan’s daughter-in-law revealed that the family never received the financial support promised by the Congress and was denied a meeting with Priyanka Gandhi despite waiting by the roadside. They had earlier sought permission to discuss their plight with her, but were informed that a meeting would not be possible.

The family expressed feeling neglected by the Congress, mirroring the treatment they believe Vijayan endured. They allege someone deliberately prevented them from meeting Priyanka Gandhi, despite prior assurances.

Letters and suicide notes allegedly written by NM Vijayan have placed the Congress leadership in Kerala in a difficult position. Vijayan and his son were found in critical condition at their residence on 24 December 2024 and later died at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.

In his suicide note, Vijayan reportedly detailed financial stress, allegations of bribery involving a cooperative bank, and his sense of betrayal by the party he loyally served. He instructed his elder son Vijesh to hand over the note to Congress leaders, and if there was no response within 10 days, to share it with the Wayanad district police chief.

Based on this note, police have filed an FIR against several Congress leaders on charges of abetment of suicide. Those named include Sultan Bathery MLA IC Balakrishnan, DCC President ND Appachan, KK Gopinathan, and the late PV Balachandran, who had previously left Congress to join CPI(M).