However, they will not contest the polls. All Rights Reserved. Twenty20 contested the local body polls in the Kizhakkambalam panchayat in 2015 and created history by winning 17 of the 19 Gram Panchayat seats. Twenty20, the CSR wing of garments exporter KITEX Group, not only repeated its success in Kizhakkambalam in last year’s local body polls, but also expanded its footprint to three neighbouring panchayats. KOCHI: Political novice Twenty20, which stormed to power in Kizhakkambalam panchayat in 2015, is giving opponents a run for its money in local body polls. As a charity organization earlier, it had fielded candidates as … The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. KV Jacob, the then president of the Kizhakkambalam panchayat, quit, mentioning differences with the leadership, especially the Anna-Kitex management. Sceptics thought it to be a “one-time wonder”, but the Twenty20 experiment proved successful. Terry Thomas Edathootty, a doctor and vice president of the Indian Dental Association, Kerala Chapter, will fight from Thrikkakkara; professor Lesli Pallath, an educational expert, from Ernakulam; and Shiney Antony, an entrepreneur and a social worker, from Kochi. But the party managed to put them to rest. Twenty20 has taken lead in providing drinking water to the people of Kizhakkambalam. The Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam (Twenty20), a charity outfit floated by the Anna-Kitex Group, shocked political parties by capturing the panchayat with a 69 per cent vote share. It kept its word by closing down the only liquor outlet in the area. The board will be expanded into a 20-member committee. Twenty20 is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) wing of Anna-Kitex, a well-known industrial group in Kerala. Kochouseph Chittilappilly is the founder and chairman of V-Guard Industries Ltd and a chain of amusement parks called Wonderla. Besides, in the 23-ward Vengola, it played a decisive role in forming the panchayat, winning eight of the nine seats it contested while becoming the single largest party. Twenty20, which 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. Thanks Charles Sam(تشارلز سام) and Muscateer for the question Who is this new political party in Kerala named Twenty 20? Jose Joseph, the son-in-law of Kerala Congress leader and former minister PJ Joseph, will contest the Kothamangalam constituency. To avail of benefits offered by the Twenty20, a family needed to register with the mission, which then issued an identification card based on incomes. "Twenty20", a development initiative of the Anna-Kitex Group, sprang a surprise on mainstream political parties in the latest polls, winning four gram panchayats. The total spending by Kizhakkambalam gram panchayat in the four years from 2011 to 2015 was Rs 22.4 crore, less than half of what it spent between 2013 and 2015. Candidates fielded by the Twenty20 sprang a surprise by winning 17 of the 19 seats in Kizhakkambalam, trouncing both CPM-led LDF and Congress-led UDF. Twenty20 has recently been registered as a political party, which gives the party leadership the authority to use anti-defection law against members. The organization runs a grocery shop in Kizhakkambalam supplying vegetables and groceries at half the market price. As soon as Twenty 20 converted it to a political party, people of Kerala who have witnessed the marvellous welfare schemes and developments it has brought in Kizhakkambalam, have been flocking to get a membership of Twenty20 Party. Sreenivasan is a film actor and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In the 2020 local body elections, Twenty20 also won the panchayats of Mazhuvannoor (13/19 seats), Kunnathunad (11/18 seats) and Aikkaranadu (all 14 seats) by eating into the vote share of conventional alliances – the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF. Political parties should reform themselves to cleanse the entrenched corrupt practices that are exploited by Twenty20 to make the people believe that political parties are corrupt and corruption hinders development of the people, and the politicians develop at the cost of the people. Twenty-Twenty is a party floated by a corporate house (Kitex group) that swept power in a tiny village for the first time in the last local body poll in 2015. When did it land in limelight? Before proposals reached this committee, they had to be cleared by 17 ward-level executive committees and a 200-member ward-level working committee (this practice still continues, even after its panchayat election success). The outfit has had success in local polls in the area and emerged as a talking point due to its corporate affiliation, which is unique in the political arena. Twenty20 party president Sabu M Jacob announced the formation of a seven-member advisory body headed by Chittilappally to oversee the election campaign of the party. Can it Do Some Hard-hitting? The outfit has had success in local polls in the area and emerged as a talking point due to its corporate affiliation, which is … It won the panchayats of Mazhuvannoor, Kunnathunad and Aikkaranadu by eating into the vote share of the LDF and the UDF in Ernakulam district. Kochi: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s son-in-law Varghese George joined Twenty-20, a corporate-backed political party, here on Saturday. While businesses and industrial houses often fund candidates and political parties in Indian elections, what makes Twenty20 unique is that a corporate entity is directly contesting elections at … This takes the total number of candidates fielded by Twenty20 to 8. On Monday, the party, which was allocated "pineapple" as the election symbol, had announced the names of five candidates - Dr Sujith P Surendran in Kunnathunadu, Chithra Sukumaran in Perumbavoor, Dr Jose Joseph in Kothamangalam, CN Prakash in Muvattupuzha, and Dr Job Chakkalakkal in Vypin. A Corporate-Backed Party in Kerala May Diss Congress, Help CPI(M) Twenty20 party, supported by Anna-Kitex group, has fielded candidates in 8 constituencies in Ernakulam district. The Twenty20, a corporate house-backed political party, has decided to contest eight seats in Ernakulam district in the upcoming Kerala assembly elections. Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam which beat the combined might of all political parties in 2015 winning 17 of the 19 seats has repeated the feat and gained more ground. In Kizhakambalam, where its electoral journey began, Twenty20 increased its seat count from 17 to 18. © Copyright 2021 Manorama Online. The Twenty20 began gaining wide popularity with a section of CPI(M), Congress and CPI workers joining the outfit. In its first political debut in 2015, Twenty20 swept the local body elections in Kizhakkambalam winning 17 of the 19 seats with an overwhelming vote share of 69 per cent. How did they perform well in the local body election? The move made sure all projects were cleared by an 18-member executive board. It has since implemented several projects, including a classy supermarket in 2017, in over 1,300 square metres. It sells goods at massively discounted rates to residents with identification cards. The juggernaut of Twenty20, an apolitical collective floated by a corporate that was elected to the Kizhakkambalam village panchayat in Kerala’s Ernakulam district in 2015, has continued in 2020. There have been allegations of corruption as well. The party won nine seats in the Aikkaranadu panchayat, five seats in Kunnathunad and five seats in Mazhuvannur according to the results of Kerala’s local body elections declared December 16, … Since Twenty20 has assumed office, government officials have brought about press reports accusing the body of occasionally bending the rules to suit the company. It set up drinking water projects for the benefit of 1,200 families, provided an education kit for students, distributed laptops for students at 50% subsidy, set up stalls to distribute vegetables and groceries at half the market price, and distributed thousands of high-quality saplings of coconut, plantain etc. However, for the majority of the people in Kizhakkambalam, Twenty 20 has done what no political party who has governed them before has ever done. Then came the 2015 panchayat elections. Terry Thomas Edathotty, a consultant Orthodontics at Lisie Hospital here, is the candidate in Thrikkakara. All You Need to Know, Kerala Assembly Reprimands MLA PC George for Derogatory Remarks Against Nun Subjected to Rape, Kerala Assembly Panel Gives Clean Chit to FM Thomas Issac Over Privilege Issue, Opposition UDF Moves Resolution Seeking Kerala Speaker's Resignation, Walks Out During Discussion, Minissha Lamba's Hot Bikini Pics Leave Fans Drooling Over Her Sexy Curves, Take A Look, Aisha Sharma Looks Sexy As She Goes Bold With Her Style, See Diva's Sultry Pictures. Kochi: With Kerala assembly polls just weeks away, Twenty20, the political party and non-profit organization promoted by Kitex Garments, announced on Wednesday that it will field three more candidates for the April 6 elections. Sabu also claimed that 1.25 lakh people have taken membership in "Twenty20" in the district during its membership campaign held two weeks ago. KOCHI: Twenty20, the corporate social responsibility venture of the 1200-crore Anna-Kitex Group is set to become a political party. onmanorama-topic-person-42-sreenivasan https-www-onmanorama-com-news-kerala onmanorama-topic-destination-3-ernakulam onmanorama-topic-person-23-kochouseph-chittilappilly https-www-onmanorama-com-acp 6fm9js1pdfi4dfish9b4ucjcmi onmanorama-topic-general-topics-22-kerala-assembly-elections, ( For more than one recipient, type addresses seperated by comma ), Mammootty rules out political career, to focus on the task at hand, Kochouseph Chittilappily’s sprawling mansion in Kochi paints a dream saga, Jaleel spawned controversies often but emerged unscathed with Pinarayi's support, 8,778 new COVID cases in Kerala after 65,258 tests on Wednesday, Kochi 'quotation gangs' under police watch as Sanu Mohan proves elusive, Water tariff raised across the board, KWA aims to come out of the red, CM Pinarayi free of COVID-19, discharged from hospital, Why CPM finally decided to wash its hands of Jaleel, Customs to question Speaker again, this time in Kochi, Thrissur Pooram: COVID-19 vaccination, RT-PCR test must for entry to venue, Keralites celebrate Vishu under COVID-19 shadow. However, the leadership dismissed this allegation. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities. The Twenty20 promised to make Kizhakkambalam an alcohol-free village during its panchayat election campaign in November 2015. They have also taken interest in making toilets; repairing houses; sponsoring surgeries and wedding; building places of worship and donating seeds and agricultural implements. Corporate-backed Twenty20 Raises Kerala Poll Pitch. The group says the proposed plant fulfilled all criteria. Here’s the lowdown on Twenty20: It began as the corporate social responsibility (CSR) wing of Anna-Kitex, a well-known industrial group based in Kizhakkambalam in Ernakulam district, some 26km from the Kochi airport. Women Representation in Kerala Assembly Never Crossed 10 per cent in Six Decades, Kerala Assembly Passes Resolution against CAG Report despite Opposition from UDF. Varghese George formally joined the party … Elected local body representatives of the Twenty20 also receive a monthly honorarium of up to Rs 15,000 from the corporate group for their services, in addition to the salary they get from the government. On the day, business magnate Kochouseph Chittilappilly, actor Sreenivasan, and writer-director Siddique too joined the Twenty20 ranks. The mission introduced a three-tier system to ensure transparency in its projects. Son-in-law of former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Oommen Chandy has joined 20-20, a political party backed by the Anna-Kitex group. Twenty20 — the corporate-backed political party — has fielded a doctor, retired professor, and a fitness expert as its candidates in Thrikkakara, Ernakulam and Kochi Assembly constituencies respectively. (K V Jacob was earlier with the Communist Party of India-Marxist). In the December 2020 local body elections, it contested four neighbouring panchayats and registered a thumping victory in three of them, while retaining Kizhakkambalam. In February 2019, it was struck by an intra-party feud. How is Twenty-20 different from other political parties? The political parties, on the other hand, have claimed that the entire episode was fabricated in order to attain votes by Twenty20. Sreenivasan and Siddique will also be part of this body. Some members of the AITUC, the trade union wing of the CPI, even publicly displayed a Twenty20 badge on their shirts when the political entity was launched in 2015 with an aim to make the panchayat the best in the country by 2020. After that, the group launched a charitable mission in 2013, investing around Rs 28 crore in two years for development in panchayat areas, a test run of sorts with an aim to create a credible alternative to established political parties. The mission was registered as a charitable society. After the death of group founder MC Jacob in 2011, his sons, Sabu M Jacob and Boby Jacob, organised a free medical camp to carry forward their father’s vision of contributing to their village, Kizhakkambalam. Pictures of good roads and housing projects in panchayat made it a darling of a section of people in the state. It is unique because the Twenty20’s electoral foray means a corporate entity is directly taking part in polls. The Twenty20, a corporate house-backed political party, has decided to contest eight seats in Ernakulam district in the upcoming Kerala assembly elections. Dr Jose Joseph, who is contesting from the Kothamangalam constituency, is the son-in-law of Kerala Congress leader PJ Joseph. Anna-Kitex Group is a Rs 12 billion garment company founded by MC Jacob in 1968. Go live with Manorama Online App, the number one Malayalam News site on our mobiles and tablets. There is an uncanny similarity between Twenty20 and what is referred to as political machines (political party machines or urban political machines) which governed most of America’s cities from late 19th Century to mid-20th … Twenty20, a corporate-backed political party that scripted an impressive victory in the recent civic polls in parts of Ernakulam district, has announced candidates for five Assembly seats. Can they become an alternative to UDF and LDF? Twenty20, started as a development initiative of the Anna-Kitex Group 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. KOCHI: Twenty20, the political party and non-profit organization promoted by Anna-Kitex Group in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, will field five candidates in Ernakulam district in … And … He has starred in over 200 films. So how did it start? Sujith P Surendran, a university teacher in legal studies, will contest Kunnathunadu; Chithra Sukumaran, an entrepreneur, Perumbavoor; CN Prakash, a media person, Muvattupuzha; and Job Chakkalakkal, a retired professor, Vypin. With CSR funds, the Twenty20 appointed trained volunteers, mostly postgraduates in social work, to supervise the functioning of the panchayat in every ward. The three candidates are: Dr Terry Thomas Edathotty, a consultant Orthodontics at the Lissie Hospital (Thrikkakara); Leslie Pallath, former principal of St Albert's college (Ernakulam); and Fort-Kochi resident Shini Antony, who runs a fitness centre and offers physiotherapy training sessions for differently-abled children (Kochi). Twenty20 has around 4,800 members, including a 20-member executive board, which includes the Jacob brothers, representatives of Sevana and the newly-elected panchayat president, K V Jacob. The former Communist party member alleged that the panchayat body spends funds on projects and services that are approved by the leadership of the Twenty20, and not according to the merit of issues. Then there was a denial of a licence to a Kitex garment plant by the local panchayat. In 2015, history was created in Kizhakkambalam in Kerala when a corporate firm-backed political party wrested control of the local panchayat winning 17 of the 19 wards. A similar level of alienation is meted out to workers and leaders of opposing parties. 7,000 families are visiting the market regularly to buy provisions. Meanwhile, industrialist Kochouseph Chittilappilly has been appointed the chairman of the Twenty20 advisory committee with actor Sreenivasan and director Siddique as members of the panel. Twenty20, started as a development initiative of the Anna-Kitex Group 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 … The Twenty20 political party machine While Twenty20 itself is new, historical events from elsewhere can be used as a window to understand its organisation and functions. It fully sponsored surgeries for about 2,000 people — some of them in serious condition — in the panchayat. 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