Palakkad, Kerala: Ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the state’s dominant political alliances, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), accusing them of trapping Kerala in decades of “selfish politics” and corruption.

Addressing his first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-NDA rally in the state at Palakkad, Modi alleged that both alliances had failed to prioritise development, instead focusing on vote-bank politics.

“Kerala has been trapped for decades between two faces of selfish politics. On one side the LDF, on the other the UDF — one corrupt, the other mega-corrupt; one communal, the other mega-communal,” he said, intensifying his criticism of the state’s traditional political duopoly.

The Prime Minister further accused both the LDF and UDF of neglecting Kerala’s growth. “All policies of LDF and UDF revolve around vote-bank politics. They have no concern for Kerala’s development,” he said, adding that the people of the state are no longer convinced by what he described as “empty promises”.

Projecting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as an alternative, Modi asserted that only the NDA could fulfil the aspirations of Kerala’s people. He also offered his personal assurance of rapid development if voted to power.

 

“I guarantee that a BJP-NDA government in Kerala will transform the state into a ‘Viksit Kerala’. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

Highlighting what he described as a shifting political mood, Modi claimed there was a “different atmosphere” in the state, driven by increasing public trust in the NDA.

“The enthusiasm here, the presence of such a large crowd in Palakkad, shows that Kerala’s mood is turning into a movement. Youth, women and farmers are placing their trust in the BJP and NDA,” he said.

He also paid tribute to party workers who lost their lives in incidents of political violence in the state, attributing the growing support for the BJP to their efforts and the “blessings of the people”.

The rally comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting set for May 4. The current Assembly’s tenure ends on May 23.

Kerala has traditionally alternated between the LDF and UDF every five years since 1982. However, this pattern was broken in 2021 when the LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, secured a second consecutive term.

In the upcoming election, the Congress-led UDF will attempt to unseat the incumbent CPI(M)-led LDF in the 140-member Assembly. Around 27 million voters are expected to cast their ballots, with polling to be conducted under strict guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India under the Model Code of Conduct.

After the rally in Palakkad, PM Modi is scheduled to proceed to Thrissur for another NDA event.