Kochi: Following Kerala political party Twenty20 joining the BJP-led NDA in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, a section of leaders from the party announced quitting it and informed that they are going to join Congress.
It was the former president of Vadavukod Block Panchayat Rasina Parith, former coordinator of Mazhuvannur Panchayat Renju Pulinchotan, and former member of Aikaranad Panchayat Jeel Mavelil who announced their resignation from Twenty20. The three announced in a joint press conference that more people would resign and join Congress.
They accused the Twenty20 of becoming a recruiting agency for the BJP and cheating the people.
Rasina Parit told reporters that elected representatives in the party were not aware of the party's decision to join the NDA. As the party’s stance earlier, if they decided to become part of a political party, it would be dissolved. The leaders acted as if they were recruiting agents for the BJP, Rasina said.
She said that voters voted for the party Twenty-20, not for a Twenty-20-BJP alliance. Razina added that there is no freedom of expression in Twenty-20.
Other leaders who were present at the conference said that the Twenty20’s decision to join the NDA was not known to its parliamentary board members, ward committees, or people's representatives. A few people made the decision, and others came to know about it through the media.
The leaders allege that a survey conducted by the party in the name of providing subsidies to the people must have been an initial step for its entry to BJP. According to them, they refused to conduct the survey asking about caste and religion, and this led to action against them.