Smarting from the heavy defeat inflicted by Twenty20, the apolitical corporate-backed charity outfit, that swept into power in Kizhakkambalam panchayat in the last local body polls, mainstream political parties are pulling out all the stops to reverse the fortune in the forthcoming elections.
The Congress, having ceded power five years ago, has fired the first salvo, accusing Twenty20 of rigging electoral rolls, which the latter has swatted aside as the desperation of an already defeated rival.
Notwithstanding its confidence of winning at least 12 out of the 19 wards in the panchayat even if the United Democratic Front (UDF) were to go it alone, the local Congress leadership remains open to potential tie-ups, even with fierce rival CPI(M), to defeat the common nemesis. “We are open to joining hands with any democratic force other than communal outfits like the BJP and the SDPI,” said Elias Karipra, president of the Kizhakkambalam Assembly constituency of the Congress. He spoke of how the victorious UDF candidate, Benny Behanan, trailed by just around 1,300 votes in the panchayat despite Twenty20 having supported the LDF candidate, Innocent, in the Chalakudy Parliament constituency in the last general elections.
However, the CPI(M) seems far from receptive to that feeler from the rival camp, as it remains intent on fielding Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates in all 19 wards. “We have already completed 75% of our organisational work ahead of the elections, and all that remains is the announcement of candidates, which will have to wait till the classification of general and reserved seats. Public opinion has swung against Twenty20, which is controlled by a corporate dangling its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for its vested interests,” said Jins P. Mustafa, CPI(M) local committee secretary, Kizhakkambalam.
Both the parties cited elections to two cooperative service banks at Malayidamthuruth and Kizhakkambalam, retained by the CPI(M) and the Congress respectively, when people voted despite boycott calls by Twenty20 as emblematic of the outfit’s fading influence. They alleged that the vindictive outfit had even cancelled the ‘beneficiary cards’ of those who had violated its diktat, thus depriving them of heavily discounted essential items from its food security market.
Twenty20, however, remains confident of a clean sweep in Kizhakkambalam in the coming election while expanding its footprint to at least four neighbouring panchayats.
“There will be covert understanding among all political parties and even friendly contests as it happened last time, as our elimination is their common agenda even as our successful model is catching up across the State,” said Sabu M. Jacob, businessman and chief mentor of Twenty20.
He added that the political outfits waxing eloquent over Twenty20’s setback in the cooperative bank elections conveniently hid its victory in the elections in Kudumbashree units three years ago. Mr. Jacob said Twenty20 went beyond mere CSR allocation and denied allegations of discrimination in issuing beneficiary cards.
