Palakkad (Kerala): Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Kerala's Palakkad on Tuesday.
This is the prime minister's second event in Kerala within one week and the rally will be held in support of the NDA candidates. This also marks the fourth visit of the Prime Minister to the State this year.
The roadshow will be held on a one kilometre long stretch from Kotta Maidan to the Head Post Office Road in the town.
The PM earlier today in a social media post on X said, "Thank you Coimbatore. I will always cherish the affection I've received here. On the way to Palakkad to take part in a roadshow after which will go to Salem for a rally."
Ahead of the roadshow, the Bharatiya Janata Party held a bike rally in Palakkad town on Monday evening.
On March 15 PM Modi had addressed a public meeting in Pathanamthitta in support of the NDA candidates in south Kerala constituencies.
There are 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala and the BJP has never won a parliamentary seat in the state.
Addressing the public campaign in Pathanamthitta for candidates of the BJP-led NDA, PM Modi that the people of the state will benefit only if the cycle of consecutive Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) governments is broken.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a social media post recalled that Kerala is the state that the Prime Minister had infamously compared to Somalia and asked whether "the Prime Minister finally apologise to the people of Kerala for his misleading commentary on the state."
"Kerala's performance on development indicators has been consistently better than *all* Indian states," the Congress leader said in a post on X.
"Kerala is home to the Western Ghats, an extremely fragile but important ecosystem. In the last 10 years, under Modi's tutelage, there have been continuous assaults on its ecosystem. The Modi Government has diluted all environment and forest laws to help a few favoured corporates, and perhaps to repay the debts incurred for their purchase of the BJP's electoral bonds. Will the Prime Minister come clean on what his motivations were when he was diluting our environmental protection regime to favour his corporate friends?" he posted on X.
Also Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Monday alleged that there is an unholy nexus between CPI(M) and BJP and that the CBI and ED is not questioning Kerala CM Pinrayi Vijayan of the SNC Lavalin case which was postponed for 38 times, adding that they had brought evidence to prove that.
The PM had said in Pathanamthitta rally, "Kerala's culture is connected with spirituality, but UDF and LDF are known for crushing this. The culture of Kerala promotes peace but the UDF and LDF believe in political violence. LDF is known for looting through gold, UDF's identity is from solar power loot. To stop this game of looting, I have come here to seek your blessings,"
"Due to the corrupt and incompetent government in Kerala, people are suffering, and you will benefit only if the cycle of consecutive LDF and UDF governments is broken," the prime minister added.
He also reached out to the Christian community, which has a significant presence in the district.
Stating that Kerala will come out of the circle of LDF-UDF he promised that he will "leave no stone unturned for the development of Kerala..."
"Lotus is going to bloom in Kerala this time," the PM said.
He also said that both the LDF and UDF governments had ignored the struggles of rubber planters.
Modi first visited the state in January and attended a women's conclave in Thrissur.
In January again he visited Thrissur to attend the marriage of BJP leader Suresh Gopi's daughter at Guruvayur. He also held a road show in Kochi.
PM Modi had last month attended the finale of BJP state president K Surendran's padayatra at Thiruvananthapuram.
He also inaugurated space infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,800 crore at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre during his visit there and bestowed 'astronaut wings' to four astronaut-designates.
Following the roadshow in Palakkad, Modi will leave for Salem in Tamil Nadu where he will address a public meeting this afternoon.
—ANI
