Kochi: Rubbishing rumours of joining hands with BJP, Twenty20 here on Sunday announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Twenty20 state president Sabu M Jacob said that only his party that aims at public welfare and development can save Kerala. He was addressing a public meeting at Kizhakkambalam Twenty20 Nagar here on Sunday.

Twenty20 will contest two Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. The party will field Adv Charley Paul(60) from Chalakkudy and Adv Antony Judy (28) from Ernakulam. 

Adv Charley has been the state spokesperson of the  Madya Virudha Samithi (anti-liquor committee). He also served as the general secretary of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese pastoral council.

Antony Judy was Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) national president and national secretary. He also attended the climate change conference of the United Nations Organisation held in December 2023.

After announcing the names of the candidates, Sabu Jacob said that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will bring major changes in Kerala politics. He also expressed confidence that the Twenty20 candidates would win both seats.

“ Our ancestral politicians have completely failed to introduce projects that ensure public welfare and comprehensive development of the state. The public has lost hope in these age-old political parties and fronts. In this situation, the new model politics introduced by Twenty20 has great significance,” he said.

He pointed out that all politicians in the ruling and opposition fronts are selfish people who only aim at the progress of their families and parties. 

“ People of Kerala have prepared themselves for a major political change. Our party is preparing its election manifesto.Twenty20 has already successfully implemented its governance model. We don't give false promises. We will fulfill all our promises” declared Sabu M Jacob. 

The Twenty20 party, the political arm of the Kizhakkambalam-based corporate Kitex Group has announced its candidates for the general elections amid the speculations over its alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. In 2022, Twenty20 formed an alliance called the 'People Welfare Alliance' along with Aam Aadmi Party. But both parties decided to disband the alliance in December last year. 

Twenty20 had polled a little over 10 per cent of votes in Thrikkakara constituency in the 2021 assembly polls. The party had won several seats in the local body elections in 2020 and 2015.