Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally during a public meeting in Palakkad on March 29, 2026. Photo: narendramodi.in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (March 29, 2026) stepped up the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) campaign ahead of the April 9 Kerala assembly elections with a scathing attack on both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). Claiming that the two fronts had alternated in power for decades while “looting” the state through corruption and mismanagement, Mr Modi said their policies had deprived the people of Kerala of resources, opportunities and growth.
Council elections LIVE
The Prime Minister said that the BJP-led NDA as a decisive alternative, the NDA government will implement the vision of “Viksit Kerala”, promising faster development and measures to curb the outward migration of educated youth by creating opportunities in the state. “It is Modi’s guarantee for you. NDA’s guarantee is Modi’s guarantee,” he said while addressing a gathering of all 12 NDA candidates from Palakkad district. A large crowd gathered at the Fort Grounds at 2pm and braved the intense summer heat to attend the event.
The Prime Minister alleged that both the UDF and the LDF were deceiving the public by branding each other as BJP’s B-team. “This is an inadvertent admission by both the fronts that the BJP is the real A-team in Kerala,” he said.
He said that for decades, Kerala was trapped between fronts that took turns in power without bringing any progress. “If one was communal, the other was too communal; if one was corrupt, the other was excessively corrupt. Both UDF and LDF cheated the public by relying on vote bank politics,” he said.
The prime minister accused the LDF government of plunging Kerala into a debt of ₹5 crore. “Kerala’s debt has tripled in the last 10 years and the money has gone into the LDF’s pockets,” he said. If the NDA comes to power, we will recover the funds and use them for public welfare, Mr. Modi said.
He said both the Congress and the Left shared a long history of misgovernance, pointing to the Left’s record in Bengal and Tripura and the Congress’s performance at the national level. He highlighted the BJP’s focus on a women-led model of development, highlighting initiatives across several sectors, including health, and citing the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Bill. “Under the NDA, girls from disadvantaged backgrounds will be empowered to achieve new heights,” he said, contrasting Congress leaders whom he described as obstacles to women’s progress and security.
Acknowledging the hard work of Palakkad’s paddy farmers, Mr. Modi said only the BJP can provide effective support to the farming community. “Instead of helping, the state government is trapping farmers in debt,” he said, adding that the NDA government in Kerala would end their plight, a promise he called “Modi’s guarantee”.
He promised to expose corruption involving LDF and UDF if BJP comes to power in Kerala. “Both are involved in corruption and looting but never expose each other. BJP will ensure justice for the people by investigating and exposing the misdeeds of LDF-UDF,” he said.
Published – 29 March 2026 16:46 IST
