NDA Celebrity Candidate Lakshmi Priya's Name Missing From Voters List
Her candidature in jeopardy, roadshow cancelled: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Just a day after the Twenty20 party, an NDA ally in Kerala, announced Malayalam actor Lakshmi Priya as their candidate from the Perumbavoor constituency, it has come to light that she isn’t registered to vote there.
Lakshmi Priya lives in Karingachira, Tripunithura, but her name is missing from the local voter list. Reports say she’s also absent from the list in Thrikkakara, where her flat is located. Following these developments, the NDA cancelled a roadshow planned for her on Wednesday, though the Twenty20 leadership cited her health issues as the reason for the cancellation.
The NDA removed her campaign flex boards soliciting votes, which were put up in the constituency. Sources said she is unlikely to be the candidate in view of the latest developments.
The Twenty20 is a registered political party founded in 2015 in Kizhakkambalam, located in the Ernakulam district. Industrialist and Kitex Group head Sabu M. Jacob started the party, which stepped into politics in 2015. It holds considerable influence across four panchayats in the Ernakulam district.
Twenty20 supremo Sabu M Jacob announced the candidature of Lakshmi Priya on Tuesday. The party also declared other candidates, including film and TV actor Anjali Nair from Thrippunithura, an “A” grade BJP constituency. The BJP had recently won the Thrippunithura Municipal Corporation elections, and Anjali’s candidature raised several eyebrows.
Another actor, Veena Nair, was fielded in the Ettumanoor constituency, while Promy Kuriakose will contest from Angamaly.
Earlier, Akhil Marar, Big Boss fame, was announced as the candidate from Thrikkakara. The Twenty20 list caused some discontent within the BJP, which had expected strong performances in these constituencies.
However, the equations changed after Twenty20 was inducted into the BJP-led NDA recently.