Politics often makes for strange bedfellows. In Kerala, as garment major Kitex Group’s party Twenty20 seeks to expand its political footprint in next week’s local body elections, the Congress, the CPI(M), and the BJP have buried their differences to take on the corporate group’s outfit on its home turf.
Kitex launched Twenty20 as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in 2013 to transform the village of Kizhakkambalam, near Kochi, where it is located and employs thousands in its garment processing unit. It was formed following a longstanding battle with the Congress-ruled village panchayat that had refused the year before to renew the unit’s working licence, alleging it was contaminating water bodies with effluents from its dyeing and bleaching units, though an expert committee appointed by the High Court had found that its effluent treatment adhered to the pollution-control norms.Twenty20 won Kizhakkambalam in the 2015 elections and bagged three other nearby panchayats in Ernakulam district in the elections in 2020.
While the outfit is contesting 48 panchayats this time, including the four it already governs, in the local elections on December 9 and 11, the CPI(M), the Congress, and the BJP have launched common independent candidates to take it on in Kizhakkambalam. While Twenty20’s symbol is the mango, several Independent candidates also have other fruits as symbols.
On the leading parties joining forces to take on Twenty20, Sabu said, “There is an understanding between the Congress and CPI(M) to ensure the former’s victory… As a quid pro quo, the Congress will vote for the CPI(M) in the Assembly elections in Kunnathunad.”
Twenty20, whose president is Kitex’s managing director Sabu M Jacob, is set to contest the Kochi corporation polls, three municipalities, and is also taking the battle to Palakkad, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam districts. In certain local bodies, the outfit has fielded candidates in all seats. In Ernakulam’s Poothrikka panchayat, the “apolitical party” has women candidates in all seats.
Asked about his party’s pitch to voters, Sabu said, “In four panchayats ruled by Twenty20, we have abolished corruption. In any panchayat in Kerala, around 60% of the money allotted for civic work goes into the pockets of politicians. We have plugged corruption, which helped the four panchayats ruled by Twenty20 save Rs 50 crore. We are seeking a mandate after showcasing the developmental works and welfare schemes launched in our panchayats.”
In Kizhakkambalam, one of the biggest reasons why voters supported Twenty20 is a food safety market where provisions are sold at a 50% subsidy. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the market was closed down following complaints from the major parties. Apart from a promise to reopen the market, Sabu has one more election promise that he hopes voters will find irresistible.
“We have a surplus fund of Rs 50 crore in four pachayats. This money, a part of which was paid by various taxes from people, will be given back to them in the form of a 25% subsidy on their electricity and cooking gas bills. After the CPI(M)-led state government machinery rejected our plan, we have moved the High Court,” he said.
A handful of candidates
Of the 21 wards in Kizhakkambalam village panchayat, the Congress has candidates in only two wards, while the CPI(M) has fielded a candidate in one seat despite having locked horns with the company several times in the last five years. The BJP, which had contested all the seats last time, has candidates in two seats. In all other seats, mainstream parties are backing independents.
CPI(M)’s Ernakulam district secretary S Satheesh justified fielding Independents against Twenty20. “They (Twenty20) have won almost unopposed in the last two elections. Hence, we decided to fight this apolitical group by fielding Independents. The CPI(M) is the only party that has been consistently fighting against Twenty20 and Sabu. They have been using CSR funds to influence people. All parties want to mobilise votes against Twenty20, which is torpedoing democracy,” he said.
Congress district president Muhammed Shiyas said the welfare schemes and freebies had influenced people. “He (Sabu) is exploiting people’s poverty and financial crisis. Sabu is functioning as a dictator in the party and there is no democracy. His strategy to exploit the poverty of the people, by giving freebies and subsidies, has affected the prospects of all parties. The decision to field common independent candidates is an experiment,” he said.
A local BJP leader said, “Our presence is not very significant. Besides, we have no candidates to field, especially women who have to be fielded in half of the seats (because of 50% reservation for women). Women are backing the Twenty20 due to the offer that provisions will be given at a subsidised rate.”
Sabu, however, dismissed the allegations of using CSR funds. “The allegation that I am using the Kitex CSR fund to reach out to voters is baseless. They do not know how CSR funds can be used. Our CSR fund in a year is only Rs 2.5 crore. There are clearly laid-down norms in this regard. We have a long-term vision of development. In the last five years, various state government agencies conducted 84 rounds of inspections and raids at four panchayats ruled by Twenty20. Have they found any anomalies? I cannot use company funds in panchayats. People in all local bodies, where we are fighting, are looking for a change and vision of development.”
On the leading parties joining forces to take on Twenty20, Sabu said, “The Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF have joined hands with the SDPI and the Welfare Party of India to fight us. Their alliance has 25 parties. These parties have betrayed the local leaders. There is an understanding between the Congress and CPI(M) to ensure the victory of Congress in the panchayat. As a quid pro quo, the Congress will vote for the CPI(M) in the Assembly elections in Kunnathunad (which Kizhakkambalam is a part of). Besides, these parties are now eyeing to pocket the surplus amount of Rs 32 crore at the Kizhakkambalam panchayat.”