Kochi: The bitter fallout between former Bigg Boss Malayalam winner and Twenty20’s unsuccessful Thrikkakara Assembly candidate Akhil Marar and party president Sabu M Jacob intensified on Thursday after the party released a purported audio recording in which Marar is heard discussing financial support, political accommodation and possible appointments as conditions for continuing his association with the party.

The audio, released through Twenty20’s official Facebook page, comes two days after Marar publicly announced his exit from the party while levelling a series of allegations against its leadership. Since then, both sides have traded accusations, leaked WhatsApp conversations and now audio recordings, exposing a deep rift between Marar and the party.

In the audio clip, Marar is heard saying that if he were to continue with the party, there should be a ‘proper accommodation’, both politically and financially.

“...If we are to continue, there must be proper, clear accommodation. I am saying this very openly. That is, if we are to continue with a political party, there must be proper accommodation... whether financially or otherwise... because we have to live. I am someone who has come up living in that manner. So, leaving my life behind…,” he is heard saying in the audio.

The recording also captures Marar comparing Twenty20 with national parties.
“When you look at Congress, it is a national party. BJP is a national party. Whichever part of India you go to, we will have respect and value there. We don’t have that here.”

He further suggests that if such an arrangement was not possible, certain appointments should be secured.

“If that is not the case, we must ask and secure some Central Board positions... or things like that for us. Because there are only losses... the main reason for taking this decision is not giving me the Kottarakkara seat…”

Twenty20 has projected the recording as evidence that Marar sought financial backing and appointments to Central government boards while negotiating his political future with the party.

The audio release follows Marar’s dramatic exit from Twenty20, during which he accused Sabu of not fulfilling assurances made before the assembly elections.

As part of his allegations, Marar shared screenshots of private WhatsApp conversations with Jacob on social media, claiming they showed promises that were never honoured.

According to Marar, he was initially assured either the Kottarakkara or Tripunithura Assembly constituency but was eventually asked to contest from Thrikkakara, where Twenty20 had little organisational presence. He went on to lose the election from the constituency.

Marar also claimed that contesting the election left him in severe financial distress. He alleged that he was forced to sell his motorcycle, worth around ₹20 lakh, for nearly ₹10 lakh in a distress sale to meet election-related expenses and support his livelihood.

Marar further alleged that dissatisfaction within Twenty20 extended beyond him. He claimed that actress and Twenty20 Tripunithura candidate Anjali Nair as well as Ettumanoor candidate Athira D Nair were also unhappy with the party leadership over the way candidates were treated and the manner in which the organisation was run.

Twenty20 rejects allegations
Responding to Marar’s allegations, Jacob dismissed the claims as baseless. Jacob maintained that Twenty20 had fully funded and reimbursed election campaign expenses incurred by all its candidates. He also said that Marar had voluntarily agreed to contest from Thrikkakara and was free to reject the candidature if he was dissatisfied with the constituency offered.

The public fallout has also revived memories of Marar’s verbal sparring during the assembly election campaign with actor and UDF Palakkad candidate Ramesh Pisharody.

During the campaign, Marar had accused Pisharody of entering politics for commercial gain. The leaked audio of Marar has since drawn attention to those remarks, as it appears to capture him discussing financial support and political appointments in connection with his continued association with Twenty20.