Kerala industrial charity outfit-turned-political party to contest from five assembly seats

PTI, Mar 8, 2021, 8:55 PM IST

Kochi: An industrial charity outfit-turned- political party, which scripted an impressive victory in the recent civic polls in parts of Ernakulam district, on Monday announced its entry in the Assembly electoral fray by announcing candidates for five seats.

”Twenty20,” started as a development initiative of the Anna-Kitex Group a few years ago, had sprung a surprise on mainstream political parties in the civic polls held last December by winning four gram panchayats, nine block panchayat divisions and two district panchayat divisions in Ernakulam district.

Enthused by its performance in the civic polls in the district, Sabu Jacob, Chairman and Managing Director of Kitex, who heads ”Twenty20,” today announced his party’s candidates for Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Perumbavoor, Kunnathunad and Vypeen Assembly constituencies for the April 6 elections.

He was joined by celebrities including industrialist Kochouseph Cittilappally, film actor Sreenivasan and director Siddique at the press conference held today.

Jacob also announced a seven-member advisory body headed by Chittilappally for overseeing the election campaign of the party.

Sreenivasan and Siddique are members of the body.

They would not contest the polls.

Jacob said ”Twenty20,” which was allocated ”pineapple” as an election symbol, is contesting the polls to make Kerala a State free of corruption.

He claimed that 1.25 lakh people have taken membership in ”Twenty20” in the district during its membership campaign held two weeks ago.

In 2015, ”Twenty20” contested the local body polls in the Kizhakkambalam panchayat near here and created history by winning 17 of the 19 gram panchayat seats.

In the 2020 civic elections, ”Twenty20” not only retained Kizhakkambalam panchayat by an impressive margin but also captured power in neighbouring panchayats of Aikkaranad, Kunnathunadu and Mazhuvannur.

Besides, it had also emerged as a major force in Vengola gram panchayat, winning several wards.

”Twenty20,” a brainchild of Sabu Jacob, had started as the development initiative of the Rs 12 billion Anna-Kitex Group founded by his father MC Jacob in 1968.