Kochi: Less than 24 hours after the Twenty20 party officially announced its entry into the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the corporate-backed political outfit is facing its first major internal crisis. A section of the party leadership has openly revolted against the decision, with indications that several key members are preparing to defect to the Congress.

The internal “blast”, as insiders describe it, comes immediately after party president Sabu M Jacob formalised the alliance. 

Six senior leaders of the party, including those with organisational responsibilities, are scheduled to hold a press conference at 3 pm at Kolenchery.

Sources said that these leaders, including former block panchayat and district panchayat members, backed by the Congress, will likely announce their resignations. Moreover, the party’s two ward members in Puthencruz panchayat, which is ruled by the UDF with the support of Twenty20, are likely to join Congress at the press meet. Former MLA and senior Congress leader VP Sajeendran, too, is expected to attend the press meet.

“A few more elected members, including panchayat members, will resign and come out in the coming days," a source at Ernakulam DCC said.

While the Twenty20 leadership maintains that the dissenting voices represent a negligible minority, the silence of key elected representatives on the ground tells a different story.

The primary point of contention appears to be the unilateral nature of the decision. Critics within the party argue that Twenty20 operates on a corporate model where the president decides, and the rest follow, rather than a democratic political structure. This top-down approach, which functioned effectively when the party was focused on local governance in Kizhakkambalam, has fractured under the weight of a major ideological shift.

“There is no organisational system or structure from the base to the top here. Whatever Chairman Sabu M Jacob decides, others simply move forward. That was the approach so far. But becoming part of a political front like the NDA is an ideological issue that cannot be decided by one person,” said a source within Twenty20.

The fracture was visible yesterday in Kizhakkambalam, the party’s fortress. Notably, local leaders, panchayat members, and elected representatives largely refrained from public reactions following the official announcement. Their silence is being interpreted as a sign of deep-seated disapproval, stemming from concerns that the party's minority vote base will be alienated by the alliance with the BJP.

The Congress party is moving swiftly to capitalise on the confusion. The United Democratic Front (UDF) camp assesses that the split in Twenty20, combined with the minority consolidation against the BJP alliance, opens a clear path for them to recapture the Kunnathunad assembly seat.

Currently held by LDF MLA PV Sreenijin, the constituency has been a three-way contest in recent years. Congress strategists believe that if they can absorb the dissatisfied Twenty20 votes and leaders, they can overcome the LDF's advantage.

Despite the unfolding crisis, the Twenty20 official leadership remains dismissive. Speaking to Onmanorama, party leaders claimed that “the majority supported the NDA entry” and that dissatisfaction was limited to a few members.