Kerala Assembly polls 2026: Modi targets LDF, UDF over decades of corruption, calls BJP Kerala’s real A-team

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday intensified the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) campaign for 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). Alleging that two fronts have been in power for decades and “looted” the State through corruption and mismanagement, Mr. Modi said their policies have deprived the people of Kerala of resources, opportunities and growth.

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Positioning the BJP-led NDA as a decisive alternative, the Chief Minister said the NDA government will advance the vision of a “Viksit Kerala” that promises faster development and measures to curb out-migration of educated youth by creating opportunities within the State. “This is Modi’s guarantee to you. NDA’s guarantee is Modi’s guarantee,” he said while addressing a rally attended by 12 NDA candidates from Palakkad district. A large crowd gathered at Fort Grounds at 2pm, braving the intense summer heat to attend the event.

The Chief Minister alleged that both the UDF and the LDF were misleading the people by labeling each other as the B team of the BJP. “This is an inadvertent admission by both camps that the BJP is the real A-team in Kerala,” he said.

He said that for decades, Kerala has been stuck between governments that have failed to make progress. “If one was communal, the other was extremely communal; if one was corrupt, the other was extremely corrupt. Both UDF and LDF cheated the people by relying on vote bank politics,” he said.

The Chief Minister accused the LDF government of dragging Kerala into a debt of Rs. 5 lakh crore. “Kerala’s debt has tripled in the last 10 years with money coming into LDF’s pocket,” he said. If NDA comes to power, we will recover the funds and use them for the welfare of the people, Mr Modi said.

He said both the Congress and the Left shared a long history of mismanagement and pointed to the Left’s record in Bengal and Tripura and the Congress’s performance across the country. He emphasized the BJP’s focus on a women-led development model, highlighted initiatives in various sectors, including health, and cited the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam law. “Under the NDA, girls from disadvantaged backgrounds will be empowered to reach new heights,” she said, contrasting this with Congress leaders whom she described as obstacles to women’s progress and security.

Appreciating 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 keeping farmers in a debt trap,” he said, adding that an NDA government in Kerala would end their woes, promising what he called “Modi’s guarantee”.

He promised to expose corruption involving LDF and UDF if the BJP comes to power in Kerala. “Both of them are involved in corruption and plunder, but they never expose each other. The BJP will ensure justice for the people by investigating and exposing the misdeeds of LDF-UDF,” he said.