India News | Three-way Contest for Thrikkakara Seat as AAP-Twenty20 Alliance Backs out

Kochi, May 8 (PTI) Twenty20 on Sunday announced that it and its alliance partner Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have jointly decided not to contest in the upcoming Thrikkakara by-election as the same does not have any political significance.

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With the AAP-Twenty20 alliance backing out, it would be a three-way contest between UDF, LDF and BJP for the Thrikkakara seat -- by-election for which was necessitated due to the death of Congress leader P T Thomas.

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Twenty20 founder and party president Sabu Jacob, also the MD of Kitex Garments, issued a release announcing the backing out of the AAP-Twenty20 alliance from the contest just a few days after he had bragged to the media that they were better prepared for the by-election.

He had said that the party's decision last year to contest the Thrikkakara seat was a last minute thing and despite that it had won around 14,000 votes which indicated what the people want and that they were better prepared this time round.

The only thing left to do was find a good candidate, he had said and added that 3-4 names were under consideration.

Now, with just three more days to go for filing nominations and with UDF, LDF and BJP having announced their candidates, the AAP-Twenty20 alliance decided to back out of the contest and instead focus on organisational work.

Jacob, in the release, said that both parties do not believe that the by-election results will make any headway in state politics or that it has any political significance and therefore, they have jointly decided not to enter the fray.

He also said in the release that the focus was on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's upcoming visit to Kerala on May 15 for a convention and to make the same a success.

Earlier in the day, BJP announced that it would be fielding its state vice-president A N Radhakrishnan as the candidate in the upcoming bye election.

He would be going up against UDF candidate Uma Thomas, widow of P T Thomas, and LDF candidate Dr Jo Joseph, a prominent cardiologist in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)