Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack against Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) on Sunday, calling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) the sole 'A-team' in the upcoming assembly polls.
Addressing an election rally in Palakkad, Modi accused the LDF and UDF of looting the state for decades, further alleging that there is an 'understanding' between the two coalitions.
He warned voters to remain alert about the two fronts, saying: 'The Congress and the communists are forming alliances across the country. Look at Bihar, Jharkhand, from Andhra Pradesh to Manipur, Tripura and Assam. They ran the government together in Delhi. They are part of the INDIA bloc. But in Kerala, the Congress and communists are giving each other fake abuses.'
Modi also claimed that the NDA's aim is to fulfill the dreams of the people in the southern state, saying: 'When the Congress was in power, whatever money Kerala got, we gave five times that amount to the state through budget allocations. Be it urban development, roads, railways, agriculture, Jal Jeevan Mission and PM Awas Yojana.'
The funds were across sectors, Modi said. 'But, the state government did not utilise the funds properly. This was your rightful money, but the state government looted it,' he added.
He also alleged that Kerala currently faces a public debt of ₹5 lakh crore, further alleging that the taxpayers' money is going into the pockets of the LDF leaders. 'When the NDA government is formed, the money will be recovered from the looters and utilised in the state's development,' he said.
