Twenty20 party suffered a major setback on Thursday after two of its celebrity candidates were found ineligible to contest the upcoming elections. The issue has raised serious questions about the party’s preparation and candidate selection process.
Actor Veena Nair, who was announced as the party’s candidate from Ettumanoor, has confirmed that she will not contest the election. It was found that her name is not included in the electoral roll, making her ineligible. The party is now rushing to find a replacement candidate for the seat.
Lakshmi Priya controversy adds to embarrassment
This comes right after a similar issue involving Lakshmi Priya in the Perumbavoor constituency. Her name was also missing from the voter list, forcing the party to drop her as a candidate.
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The problem became public during a planned roadshow in Perumbavoor. The event had to be cancelled at the last minute when her ineligibility was found, even as Union Minister Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma had arrived to campaign. The roadshow was later reduced to a simple foot march.
Who are Lakshmi Priya and Veena Nair?
Lakshmi Priya is a Malayalam film and television actor, known for roles in films like Tiyaan and Adventures of Omanakuttan. She was also a finalist in Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 4. Born as Sabeena Abdul Latheef in 1985, she later converted to Hinduism after marriage and wrote a memoir. She was elected vice president of AMMA in 2025 before entering politics.
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Veena Nair is a popular television actor and classical dancer. She is best known for her role as Kokila in the sitcom Thatteem Mutteem and has also appeared in films like Vellimoonga. She was a contestant in Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 2 and had won the Kalathilakam dance title in 2006.
Veena Nair not on voter list, pulls out
Party is set to replace the candidate in Perumbavoor. Following the controversy, Twenty20 replaced Lakshmi Priya with Jibi Varghese Pathikkal, a former Congress leader and member of the Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church managing committee.
The repeated errors have damaged the party’s strategy of fielding popular television and Bigg Boss Malayalam stars to attract voters in key constituencies. With two candidates now out of the race, the plan appears to be weakening.
The party, founded by businessman Sabu M Jacob, had hoped to gain attention through well-known faces. However, actor Anjali is still contesting from Thripunithura, and her campaign is ongoing. |
