Kerala Assembly polls 2026 | Twenty20’s bonhomie with BJP faces electoral test

The outcome of the Kerala Assembly elections will be a litmus test for Twenty20, the Kitex Group-backed political outfit that joined hands with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) recently.

Though an official declaration is pending, the party has reportedly staked claim for nearly 20 seats across the State, except in Alappuzha and Malappuram districts. Of this, nine are in Ernakulam. Besides Kunnathunadu and Perumbavoor, the other constituencies sought include Angamaly, Thripunitura, Piravom, Thrikkakara, Vypin, Kochi, and Muvattupuzha. In Thrissur, it has sought Kodungalloor and Chalakudy seats, according to senior party functionaries.

‘List likely by Tuesday’

Sabu M. Jacob, chief co-ordinator of Twenty20, said on Monday that talks were progressing with the NDA leadership and a final candidate list was expected by Tuesday.

The talks hit a pause button after the local leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ernakulam and Thrissur refused to make any adjustments in their traditional strongholds. There was fierce opposition to the demand for Thripunitura, which is considered an ‘A’ class constituency of the BJP.

But the Twenty20 leadership exuded confidence that the differences will be resolved amicably. They claim that the partnership with the BJP may swing the electoral outcome in Kunnathunad in their favour this time. They seem to be banking on the party’s performance in Kunnathunad in the 2021 Assembly elections when its candidate Sujith P. Surendran won 42,701 votes and came third behind the winner P.V. Sreenijin of the CPI(M) and runner-up V.P. Sajeendran of the Congress. Renu Suresh, BJP candidate, had secured 7,218 seats.

Leaders, workers leave

But some key factors could play spoilsport for the party. The impact of the decision by a section of the leaders and workers to leave the party in protest against the alliance with the BJP remains unclear. Secondly, the party had faced a major dent in its electoral performance in the local body polls held in December 2025 after it lost power in two of the four panchayats it had won five years ago. Though it retained power in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, it lost in Kunnathunadu and Mazhuvannoor panchayats.

Launched in May 2013, Twenty20 was reportedly formed with the aim of turning its base Kizhakkambalam panchayat into a model for the country. The outfit sprung a surprise when 17 of the Independents backed by it won the local body elections held in Kizhakkambalam panchayat in 2015. It expanded its base in the 2020 local body elections after it won three more panchayats, including Mazhuvannoor, Aikkaranad, and Kunnathunadu, besides retaining Kizhakkambalam panchayat. An alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in 2022 had a limited timespan as it was called off after one year.