NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday started the campaign for the upcoming Kerala elections from Kochi and said the people of the state were now ready to move beyond the long-standing dominance of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), asserting that the BJP’s recent electoral gains in the state signal a wider political shift.PM Modi also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi saying the Congress ‘prince’ does not know youth and many companies in India, Kerala are into drone manufacturing.
“The people of Kerala have seen that the Congress prince is unaware of the remarkable achievements of India’s youth in drone manufacturing. The Congress leader is unaware that numerous companies in India are manufacturing drones,” he said, “He also doesn’t know that the youth of Kerala have startups to develop drones. Someone who is confined to his narrow thinking will never be able to see the country’s progress.”Addressing a large public gathering in Kochi’s Ernakulam, the prime minister cited the BJP’s victories in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat and the Thiruvananthapuram civic polls as evidence of the party’s expanding footprint in the state.“I am pleased that the people of Kerala have now decided to break free from the vicious circle of the LDF and UDF. This confidence is clearly evident in this massive gathering,” PM Modi said.Beginning his speech by greeting the audience in Malayalam, the prime minister also referred to the state being widely referred to as “Keralam,” calling it a tribute to the heritage of the Malayalam language.“It was your heartfelt call for Kerala to be known as Keralam. I am proud that now the entire country and the world are calling this great state Keralam. I am also proud that this historic work has been accomplished by the BJP-NDA government. It is a tribute to the wonderful heritage of Malayalam,” he said.PM Modi urged voters in the state to break the traditional cycle of governments alternating between the LDF and the UDF, and give the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) an opportunity to govern.“It is important to break the LDF-UDF pattern of government and give the BJP-led NDA a chance to serve you for the next five years. You have Modi’s guarantee,” the prime minister said.The prime minister further highlighted the contribution made by the fishermen community to the nation’s economy and said that the fishermen should lead the blue economy and move ahead in the field of export.In his address, he said, “Our fishermen community’s hard work and their ability to improve the economy of the country have given us the strength to move forward. For decades, the previous governments have never done justice. But now the BJP-NDA government is moving forward, giving credit to your immense capability.”PM Modi further pitched in the initiatives for fishermen in his address as he said, “Under Prime Minister Matsya Sampradaya Yojana, around Rs 1,400 crore has been donated to Kerala. In this way, Kerala is moving ahead rapidly. To strengthen the fishermen’s community, a lot of work is being done. Fishermen Co-operative Society and Fisheries Farmer Producers Organisation are also being given a fund of lakhs of crores.““We also want the fishermen community to lead the blue economy and move ahead in the field of export,” he added.The remarks come as the BJP seeks to expand its political presence in Kerala, a state historically dominated by the Left and Congress-led alliances. Party leaders have been projecting recent electoral successes as a sign of growing support for the BJP in the southern state.
