Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Saturday, April 4, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
At a BJP-led alliance’s rally here in the Pathanamthitta district, Modi sought to reach out to the Christian community, a key voting bloc in the state, which his party has long tried to attract but struggled amid attacks on Christians in north Indian states and concerns over proposed FCRA amendments.
He claimed that the countdown for the removal of the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala has started, and a BJP-led NDA will come to power in the state.
Elections to 140 Assembly seats will be held on April 9 in the state.
Outreach to Christian community and political attack
“In the Northeast, with a significant Christian population, the NDA has formed governments in six states. We have delivered on work that was pending for decades. In Goa too, with a sizeable Christian community, we continue to serve and drive development,” Modi said, in a bid to woo the community to the NDA fold ahead of the crucial polls.
Hitting back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who alleged that the Prime Minister remained silent on the Sabarimala issue during his Kerala visit, indicating that the BJP and LDF work together, Modi claimed that there is a clear pattern in the “loot” at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
“They are occurring under LDF rule, but are linked to senior Congress leaders,” he charged.
Sabarimala issue and corruption allegations
Modi said the LDF has not handed over to the CBI the probe into the gold loss matter, raising serious questions.
“At the same time, Congress, which has largely stayed away from temple-related issues, is now faking, trying to project itself as pro-Hindu. Once an NDA government is formed, a thorough investigation into both LDF and UDF will be conducted, and those found guilty will be punished. Devotees of Swami Ayyappa expect nothing less than justice,” he said.
He also said that the corruption and appeasement politics of the Left and Congress are directly impacting Kerala’s culture and faith.
“First, they defamed the Sabarimala temple. Today, it is being looted by them,” the prime minister said.
Criticism over films, FCRA and UCC
Modi also accused the LDF and UDF of repeatedly misleading people, saying they had dismissed films such as “Kerala Files”, “Kashmir Files” and “Dhurandhar” as false.
He also alleged that they were spreading misinformation about the FCRA and the Uniform Civil Code, citing Goa as an example where the UCC has been in place for decades, and added that similar claims were made earlier about the CAA.
‘WWF fight’ remark and political rivalry
Modi said the LDF and UDF have started a new propaganda where the Left and the Congress are calling each other the BJP’s “B-team”.
He said they were being forced to make such claims as they both knew that, in the Kerala elections, if there was an “A-team”, it was the BJP.
He said that during the election, both the LDF and UDF were targeting only the BJP, adding that this was because of what he described as a strong “secret partnership” between them. He alleged that their rivalry was not genuine and likened it to “WWF fights”, saying their friendship was “evergreen”.
“They are two sides of the same coin. Their enmity is false. It is like WWF fights. The friendship between LDF and UDF is evergreen. When a government is formed in Delhi, they are together. They are contesting elections together in neighbouring Tamil Nadu,” Modi said.
Another similarity between the two fronts was that they promoted people with extremist views for vote bank politics, he said and called it a dangerous trend.
Development promises and infrastructure push
Modi said the Sabarimala Railway Project would unlock new opportunities across the region by directly connecting Sabarimala with devotees. He said it would boost local trade and create employment opportunities for the youth.
“However, the state government has consistently created hurdles in the project. Once a BJP double-engine government comes to power in Kerala, these obstacles will be removed,” he said.
He added that this was his guarantee and that Kerala would grow at a new pace.
“In Kerala, we will form the government, improve the quality of life, and address the concerns of fishermen and local communities,” he said, extending his greetings to the people of Kerala for Easter and Vishu.
He said that Kerala has great potential, yet continues to lag behind other states in the race for development.
Basic infrastructure was poor in Kerala’s rural areas as the LDF and UDF did not pay attention to that, he alleged.
The PM said that the NDA government at the Centre has not spared any effort for Kerala’s development despite there being no BJP administration till now.
He said that the NDA government has spent five times more on development in Kerala than the Congress-led UPA regimes.
Modi also referred to the migration of youth from Kerala for jobs and said that it was the state’s biggest problem.
Published on April 4, 2026