The CPI(M) which swears by the adage “LDF for Sure” and the Congress offering “Clean and Transparent governance” are worried about a political outfit launched in 2012 and its mind boggling growth in Ernakulam district.
Twenty 20, which came into existence in 2012 thanks to an initiative by Sabu Jacob, scion of a corporate family, wrested power from conventional parties by winning all the 20 wards of Kizhakkambalam Panchayath in the 2015 election to the local bodies.
What Kizhakkambalam Panchayath saw in the last five years was something hitherto unseen in the State. The dilapidated roads passing through the Panchayath and the ring roads were re-laid and rebuilt by the Panchayath. All roads spot footpath and well designed drainage system that made waterlogging a distant memory. Not only that, the Panchayath constructed safe walls for houses along the road side.
“We have seen such roads only in television programmes on foreign countries, not in India,” said Suresh Gopinath, a young auditor. He said he was not at all surprised by the growth of Twenty 20 over the last five years. “They deserve the public acceptability because they have delivered what they promised in their manifesto. This political group is a threat to both the Congress and the CPI(M),” said Gopinath.
The recent election to the local bodies in the State saw Twenty 20 spreading its success to four more Panchayaths in the district. “When we assumed power in Kizhakkambalam in 2015, the panchayat had liabilities of Rs 39 lakh. We completed our five year tenure in 2020 by investing an amount of Rs 13 crore 57 lakh as fixed deposit as reserve fund of the panchayat,” Sabu Jacob, President and chief coordinator of Twenty 20, told The Pioneer.He said it was for the first time in India the village roads were built with state-of-the-art technology using BM&BC tarring, which makes the road strong and sturdy. “We do have visitors from other parts of the State to get a glimpse of these roads,” said Jacob.Roads are just a part of the development works initiated by Twenty 20.
Those without roofs over their head were given beautifully built houses with modern facilities during the last five years. Houses that were built by the UDF Government in 1969 under the Laksham Veedu Project were demolished and re-constructed using modern technology. The villages in the Panchayat spot 72 God’s Villas where one can feel the happiness and satisfaction of the residents, mainly casual labourers and people below poverty line.
Two more institutions built during the tenure of the Twenty 20 deserve special mention. The Food Security Market and the various health schemes launched for the poor and downtrodden in the society have become benchmarks for other political parties.
While Dr G Madhavan Nair, former chairman, Space Commission, said he does not have words to describe the kind of development he saw in Kizhakkambalam, film actor-turned- Kamal Haasan declared that his mission was to emerge as a hero in real life like Sabu Jacob. With proven track records, the Twenty 20 has fielded candidates in eight constituencies in Ernakulam district. According to political pundits, the Kunnathunadu assembly constituency is sure to go the Twenty 20 way.
The fact that Kochouseph Chittilappilli, industrialist of repute, Srinivasan film actor and Sidhique, movie maker joined team Twenty 20 as advisors speak volumes about the popularity enjoyed by the outfit. Sabu Jacob is the man to watch in Kerala politics. He is young and he has time.
