Kochi: In a major embarrassment for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Twenty20, the party’s strategy of fielding high-profile celebrity candidates has hit a significant roadblock. Following reports that actress Lakshmipriya’s name was missing from the electoral roll, the party’s Ettumanoor candidate, actress Veena Nair, has also pulled out of the race due to the same reason.

The situation turned critical for the party on Thursday when Veena Nair announced her decision to back out from the Ettumanoor constituency.

She claimed that the alleged administrative delay in processing her voter enrollment application before the March 23 deadline for submitting nomination may lead to rejection of her candidature.

“I have voted in the previous elections, but this time my name was not there in the list. I have already applied for inclusion, but it won't be complete before March 23, which is the last date for nomination. If so, my candidature will be rejected and the party will be in trouble. So in order to avoid that, I have told the Twenty20 leadership I will back out,” Veena Nair told Onmanorama.

The party is expected to announce a new candidate for the Ettumanoor seat shortly to ensure they remain in the fray.

The twin setbacks come just days after Twenty20 coordinator Sabu M Jacob announced a star-studded lineup for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, a move that had already drawn criticism for prioritising celebrity status over political experience.

Lakshmipriya replaced by Jiby Varghese Pathickal in Perumbavoor
The crisis first erupted on Wednesday when it was discovered that Lakshmipriya, the vice-president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), was missing from the voter rolls in both her current residence at Karingachira in Tripunithura and her former residence in Thrikkakara).

While Lakshmipriya initially dismissed the issue as a “technical error” and attributed her absence from the campaign trail to “paperwork at the collectorate”, the party has moved swiftly to replace her.

Jiby Varghese Pathickal has been named the new candidate for Perumbavoor. A native of Allapra, Jiby is a seasoned member of Twenty20. He previously served as the Mandalam Vice President of the Congress and was the Perumbavoor area secretary of the Jacobite Youth Association.

He is currently a member of the Jacobite Church managing committee. The administrative lapses have triggered immediate repercussions on the ground. Campaign activities in Perumbavoor were abruptly halted, and hoardings featuring the actress were already removed.

The controversy has provided fresh ammunition to critics who argue that Twenty20 is struggling to transition from a corporate-backed local outfit to a serious political contender.

By relying on stars like Lakshmipriya, Veena Nair, Anjali Nair (Thripunithura), and Akhil Marar (Thrikkakara), the party was accused of celebrity chasing, a strategy that has now backfired due to a lack of basic electoral vetting.

With the nomination deadline of March 23 looming, the party leadership is under intense pressure to ensure the remaining candidates' papers are in order to avoid further embarrassment.