We Will form Next Govt in Kerala, Says Modi in NDA Rally

Addressing his first election rally in Kerala at the Fort Maidan in Palakkad, Modi said these days both the Communists and the Congress are accusing each other of being the “B” team of the BJP. “One thing is clear. They both have agreed that the BJP is the “A” team in Kerala.

He said Kerala has been caught between the LDF and UDF for decades. “ One is corrupt and the other is extremely corrupt, one communal and the other extremely communal. The policies of the LDF and UDF are only aimed at creating vote banks, with no concern for Kerala’s development. I assure you if the NDA BJP government comes to power, we will carry out fast-paced development of Kerala and turn it into a Viksit Kerala. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

Modi said LDF and UDF have looted Kerala for decades. “There’s a practical understanding; some years the LDF will run the government and fill their pockets, then the UDF will take over and do the same,” he said.

He said that in Kerala, both the LDF and UDF are targeting the BJP. This means these two corrupt fronts fear the BJP because they believe that if it comes to power, it will expose all their wrongdoings. For decades, LDF and UDF have been involved in major scams, yet the governments here have never taken action against each other.

“Instead, they make false statements before the public. If a BJP government is formed, all corrupt deals of the LDF and UDF will be thoroughly investigated, bringing justice to the people of Keralam. That’s why these two alliances oppose the formation of a BJP government and fear the massive support it has among the people,” he said.

Left – Congress fights in Kerala, but in alliance elsewhere in the country

Modi said the Congress and Left have alliances across the country, including in Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam. Congress and the Communists are part of the Indi Alliance. They were in alliance at the Centre earlier, now they are together; in Tamil Nadu. However, in Kerala, Congress and the Left pretend to attack each other with fake criticisms. People of Kerala should be aware of these two fronts, he said.

The Prime Minister said Kerala is having a completely different atmosphere this time. “Keralam is giving a message of change. The increasing popularity of NDA, the growing faith of people in BJP, and today’s enthusiasm and support, and the massive presence in Palakkad show that Keralam’s mood has turned into a movement. Kerala’s youth believe that BJP and NDA will work for farmers, women, and all sections of society,” he said.

He said the Kerala people's blessings are behind this change, along with the hard work of lakhs of workers. “Many of our workers have laid down their lives in political violence. Today, in this first election meeting of Kerala, I pay my homage to all those martyrs,” he said.

“We realise why Kerala is called beautiful when we reach Palakkad, the gateway to the state. It reflects the traditional life of Kerala and is also a big centre of hard work and talent. The importance of the Kalpathy temple is often compared to that of Kashi. Being an MP of Kashi, it holds a special meaning for me,” he said.

Pays rich tributes to social reformers

He paid rich tributes to the great social reformers of Kerala. “ I bow my head in reverence before this holy land of our saint Pujya Narayana Guru, Pujya Chattambi Swamigal, Mannath Padmanabhan, Mahatma Ayyankali, and Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara.”

Modi said the BJP and the NDA are in the electoral fray to form the government. “With the blessings of the people of Kerala, we will form the government here and leave no stone unturned for the state’s development. The NDA’s objective is to fulfil the dreams of the people of Kerala,” he said.

At the Centre, we have made many efforts for Kerala’s development. When Congress was in power at the Centre, the money Kerala received in ten years is far less than what we have given, five times more to the state. Urban development, road infrastructure, railway projects, agricultural growth, Jal Jeevan Mission, PMRY—all this funding has been provided across the state. But this government has not used the money properly. It was your right to have this money, but they looted it, he said while accusing the LDF government.

LDF pushed people of Kerala into debt trap

Modi said Kerala has a debt of 5 lakh crore and it is going to increase by three times in ten years. In this situation, the hard-earned money of the people is going into the LDF’s pocket. When the NDA comes to power, the corrupt will be made to repay this money, and it will be used for the development of Keralam.

The Prime Minister said Keralam has a lot of capabilities, with natural resources, the sea, farming, tourism potential, and the educated youth whose talent, labor, and hard work are a big asset to the state. However, Keralam is facing the challenge of migration, and in the last ten years, the state government has not set up any major industrial units that could provide jobs for the youth.

Modi said the Congress and the Left have a track record of destroying everything whenever they come to power. In Bengal, everyone knows what the Left did, just as in Tripura. The nation is also aware of what Congress has done across the country.

He said Government employees in Kerala were facing delays in salaries and pensions. The biggest worry for the families of employees is whether they will receive their salaries for the next month or not. Recently in Kerala, there was a big controversy over government employees’ and leave surrender payments.

Modi said the Congress is attacking the Left, but wherever Congress is in power, the situation is equally bad. Take Karnataka, for example, where development works have halted, and Himachal, which is in an economic crisis. This is Congress’s governance model.

He said Palakkad has remained under Left MLA for 22 years and Congress MLAs were retained for five decades, but the constituency and the district saw little development.

However, when the BJP government came to power at the Centre, Palakkad got its first IIT, the railway station was upgraded, the national highway modernised, and now it is set to become a smart industrial city hub. These changes are set to bring job opportunities for the local youth of Palakkad.

Modi said the BJP has emphasized women-inclusive development in areas like finance, health care, and housing. In centrally governed policies, the highest priority is given to women, including participation in Parliament and Vidhan Sabha for which the Women’s Reservation Bill has also been passed.

NDA, because of its vision, has brought a daughter from humble background to the nation’s top post.

Raises sexual harassment case of Congress leaders

Referring to the sexual harassment cases against the former Congress MLA in Palakkad, he said people have the Congress leader posing a danger to women’s security. Yesterday, another Congress member was expelled from the party for sexual exploitation of a woman. This is the truth about this party, and the women of Kerala should be cautious about them.

He said Metro Man E. Sreedharan was fielded in the constituency in 2021, but he came a close second. “We were very sad in Delhi, and our Palakkad brothers and sisters were equally sad. But this time, the BJP has fielded Shobha Surendran. Ensure her victory with record votes,” he said.