Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kick-started the NDA campaign in Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Pathanamthitta where Anil Antony, son of former Kerala Chief Minister is contesting.
Expressing confidence that the lotus will bloom in Kerala in this election, Modi said the BJP will open its account in the State, while the NDA will form the government at the Centre by winning over 400 seats. For this, BJP needs MPs from Kerala for the formation of the new government, he appealed to voters to root out both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) forming governments.
He also dwelt upon the plight of natural rubber growers, saying that the successive governments have not done anything in their favour. Praising NRI’s working in various gulf nations for the progress of the State, the Prime Minister pointed out that the trade pact signed with UAE will bring immense benefits to the State. Incidentally, Pathanamthitta accounts for the second-largest NRI workforce from the State.
‘Two sides of coin’
He also charged both LDF and UDF with unleashing violence in the State and these two were two sides of a coin involved in corruption and looting. They are following outdated principles and ideologies which is the reason for not raising objections to Triple Talaq ban, reservation for economically weaker sections, appointment of an OBC commission etc, he added.
Both these fronts are opposing each other in the State, while forming alliance at the Centre. The Prime Minister requested the voters to kick out the Congress and left parties like in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal or Uttar Pradesh.
BJP State president K Surendran, in his welcome address, complimented the Centre to announce ₹5 as an exporting subsidy for natural rubber.
NDA candidates in Kerala including the union minister V Muraleedharan (Attingal), Baiju Kalasala (Mavelikkara), Anil K Antony (Pathanamthitta) and Sobha Surendran (Alappuzha) were present. Over a lakh of BJP workers attended the programme.