Twenty20 falls short of expectations, fails to open account

Kochi: Disappointment grips Twenty20 after it failed to achieve the gains it had hoped for. The party contested 19 seats but could not secure a win anywhere. It had pinned its hopes on winning Kunnathunad, and opening its account in the Assembly.

Despite being part of the NDA alliance, the inability to win Kunnathunad has left workers disheartened. The NDA secured 40,221 votes in Kunnathunad this time. In the previous Assembly election, Twenty20 alone had polled 41,890 votes. In the Lok Sabha election, the party had received around 46,000 votes in the constituency.

There was dissatisfaction among party workers over joining the NDA alliance. A large share of Twenty20 voters come from the Christian community, many of whom found it difficult to accept the party aligning with the BJP-led front.

The party had also held out hope in Thrippunithura, but could not convert that into a victory. Confusion among Christian voters, who form a key support base for Twenty20, could not be effectively addressed. “There is no complaint that the BJP did not cooperate,” said Sabu Jacob.