Palakkad (Kerala) [India], March 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), accusing them of “looting” Kerala for decades by allegedly sharing the spoils of power.
Addressing a public rally in Palakkad, Modi said, “The LDF and UDF have looted Kerala for decades by sharing the spoils. There has been an understanding between them that for some years the LDF will run the government and fill their pockets, then after a few years the UDF will take over. Our Kerala has gotten entangled in this arrangement. These days, the Communists and Congress have joined hands to start a new propaganda, where the Communists say that Congress is the B-team of the BJP, and Congress says that the Communists are the B-team of the BJP.”
“They too have now accepted that in this Kerala election, if there is any one team—the ‘A-team’—it is only the BJP,” he added.
Targeting the INDIA bloc, the Prime Minister said voters in Kerala should recognize the contradiction of parties allying nationally while criticizing each other locally.
“Today, the truth about who is whose B-team in the upcoming elections needs to be revealed to the people of Kerala. They are in an alliance with each other across the country—Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Assam, and even Tamil Nadu. But here in Kerala, the Congress and the Left parties are attacking each other. That is why you should be careful about both of them,” Modi said.
He further claimed that despite alleged scams over the years, neither side has taken action against the other and asserted that a BJP-led government would investigate such matters if voted to power.
“They fear the BJP because they believe that if it comes to power, the truth about all their misdeeds will be revealed. For decades, LDF and UDF have been involved in major scams, but their governments have never taken action against each other. If a BJP government is formed, it will investigate these scandals and deliver justice to the people of Kerala,” he said.
Modi also expressed confidence in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) forming the government in the upcoming Assembly elections.
“In Kerala, the BJP and NDA are working on the ground to form the government. With the blessings of the people, we will form the government here. Our goal is to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Kerala. We have provided five times the budget to Kerala compared to what was allocated during the previous Congress-led central government,” he said.
Highlighting the state’s financial condition, Modi alleged that Kerala is facing a severe debt crisis, with liabilities exceeding Rs 5 lakh crore.
“The Kerala government is burdened with debt of over Rs 5 lakh crore, which has more than tripled in two years. The people of Kerala are asking what benefit they have received from this. When the NDA comes to power, resources will be directed toward the development and welfare of the people. For the past 10 years, no major industrial project has been initiated to generate employment in the state,” he said.
The rally comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes set for May 4. The tenure of the current Assembly will conclude on May 23, and polling will be conducted under strict guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India under the Model Code of Conduct.
The Palakkad region comprises 12 Assembly constituencies, including Palakkad, Malampuzha, Tarur, Chittur, Nemmara, Shoranur, Ottapalam, Pattambi, Kongad, Mannarkkad, Thrithala, and Alathur.
Kerala has traditionally followed an alternating pattern of governance between the LDF and the UDF every five years since 1982. However, this trend 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 is seeking to unseat the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and gain control of the 140-member Assembly. The LDF-led government has been in power for nearly a decade, and approximately 2.7 crore voters are expected to participate in the election. (ANI)
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