Corporate-backed Twenty20 party hopes to win Kerala seat

After capturing power in four gram panchayats, including one for the second consecutive time, India’s first corporate-backed political party, “Twenty20” is hoping to win the Kunnathunad Assembly constituency, a taluk in Ernakulam district, in the Assembly elections. All the four gram panchayats, where Twenty20 has won in the recently concluded local body elections, come under the Kunnathunad Assembly seat. The four gram panchayats where the Twenty20 governs are Kizhakkabalam, Mazhuvanoor, Kunnathunad and Aikkaranad. Meanwhile, in Vengola panchayat, the party is the single largest party.

Twenty20, which is a corporate social responsibility wing of the Anna-kitex group, has fielded Dr Sujith P. Surendran from Kunnathunad, while Congress has given ticket to V.P. Sajeendran, who is the two-time MLA. Advocate P.V. Srinijan (CPM) and Renu Suresh (BJP) are the other candidates. Ahead of the elections, several known celebrities such as actor Sreenivasan, film director Siddique joined the Twenty20, and the latest entrant to the party is former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s son-inlaw Varghese George, who was working abroad. He is married to Chandy’s eldest daughter, Mariya.

Sabu M. Jacob, the chairman of Twenty20, formed the CSR wing in 2012 with the intention of developing his village Kizhakkabalam. Sitting at his office, Sabu Jacob told The Sunday Guardian, “My father M.C. Jacob always told me that your village and state should grow along with you. With the aim of giving back to society, I started Twenty20 in 2012. I used to approach politicians across political lines, with the request to make our villages modern, equipped with all the modern amenities. They used to ask for money from us and do nothing for the betterment of the state and villages. At that moment, I decided to start my own political party and give options to the villagers in 2014.”

Twenty20 won the 2015