Elections to the Kizhakkambalam panchayat in Ernakulam district is something to watch out for with Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam, a corporate social responsibility initiative of the Rs.1,200-crore Anna-Kitex group of companies, transforming itself into a political venture that has fielded candidates in all the 19 wards of the panchayat.
Though Sabu Jacob, chief coordinator of Twenty20, said he was not challenging established political parties, the new formation looks set to give the political parties a run for their money. The Twenty20 initiative was launched in 2013 with the aim of turning Kizhakkambalam into India’s first model village complete with self-sufficiency in food production, total sanitation, houses, and drinking water for all. Poll promises by the new political formation include recall of the elected candidate if two-thirds of the electorate express lack of confidence in the candidate.
