Twenty20 and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have decided to part ways. A statement issued by Sabu M. Jacob, president of Twenty20 party here on December 7 (Thursday) said the People’s Welfare Alliance, the joint forum of the two parties, is being disbanded.
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Twenty20’s decision to withdraw from the alliance has been conveyed to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal via e-mail, said Mr. Jacob.
Vinod Mathew Wilson, president of the Kerala unit of AAP, said that party leaders in Kerala had discussions with Mr. Jacob and it has been decided that the alliance between the two parties will end. However, since the alliance was formed at the national level, an official announcement of the development will come from the national leadership. The results of the discussions with Twenty20 have been communicated to the national leadership, he said.
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The formation of the People’s Welfare Alliance was officially announced on May 15, 2022 at a massive convention at Kizhakkambalam, seat of the Twenty20 party, by Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Jacob.
Mr. Jacob said in his statement that the formation of the new alliance was welcomed widely by people in Kerala who were tired of corruption in the traditional political parties and their inefficient administration of the State.
Ideological differences
However, over the last one-and-a-half years, a minimum common programme has not been drawn up to achieve the goals of the People’s Welfare Alliance. Organisational and political issues and ideological differences too had cropped up between the two parties preventing their working together, he said.
Mr. Jacob assured the people of Kerala that Twenty20 will continue to work for Kerala so that the State made progress and got out of the clutches of increasing corruption, spending of money without priority and an unprecedented financial crisis.