Thiruvanathapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed the hope that the people of Kerala would give the BJP-led NDA seats in double digits in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Modi said in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-NDA combine had secured vote percentage in double digits and this time around the people's mandate would translate into seats.
He said the people have seen through the deceit of the CPM-led LDF and Congress-led UDF. “They attack each other in Kerala and have tea, samosa and biscuit in Delhi. They are Best Friends Forever,” he said while addressing the concluding function of BJP state president K Surendran led Kerala padayatra at the central stadium here.
Modi said in 2019 the country gave a slogan “phir ek baar Modi sarkar” and this time everyone is saying “abki baar 400 paar.” He claimed that the opposition parties had already conceded defeat and their only agenda now is “abuse Modi.”
The prime minister said the mood of the people in Kerala indicates that it would be easy for BJP to achieve the 370 seats target. “We will rise to your expectations and fulfil all your dreams. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
Modi said the BJP has never seen Kerala or any other state through the eyes of votes. “Even when the BJP was weak, we took steps to strengthen Kerala. During the last ten years, the people of Kerala have received benefits from the Centre like any other BJP-ruled state,” he said.
He said the country today is discussing the Modi government’s third term. During Modi’s third term, India will become the third-largest economy in the world.
He accused the LDF and UDF of ruining the education sector in the state. Children from the middle- and lower-class families have faced innumerable problems. In our third term, children of Kerala will get better education and job opportunities. Semiconductor to green hydrogen will open new avenues of progress.
He said despite the state government’s non-cooperation, Kerala has remained a priority state for the Centre. In Kerala, 1.5 crore people are receiving free ration scheme, health facilities worth Rs 5500 crore under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, water taps for 36 lakh households under Jal Jeevan mission, Kisan Samman Nidhi for 40 lakh farmers and 50 lakh mudra loans mainly for women beneficiaries.
“I have presented my track record. But what is the status of the Congress and communists’ new alliance? The only achievement of the alliance is to prop up a particular family. For them, this family is above crores of other families across the country,” he said without naming the Gandhi family.
The prime minister said in Kerala the Congress had raised serious corruption allegations against the chief minister and even accused him of being a fascist. The communist government on the other hand, used lathis against the Congress and accused their previous governments of being corrupt. The communists are now also advising the Congress Prince to stay out of Kerala, he said in an obvious reference to CPI’s recent demand to shift Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
Modi said the BJP’s only mantra is “sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayaas. For us all communities, all castes and all regions are important. We have given respect to all communities and we have worked for the development of each citizen.
The BJP is making an all-out effort to open its account in Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. The party is mainly focussing on Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta seats.
