Kerala Assembly polls 2026: PM Modi kick starts BJP's campaign with launch of several development projects

PM Narendra Modi on Friday (January 23) visited Kerala. The visit served as a launch pad for the BJP/NDA poll campaign in Kerala ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections, with PM urging support for a “double engine government. It marked the formal push for the BJP campaign in poll-bound Southern state. (All pic credits: Agencies)

PM Modi arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to a a warm welcome from party leaders, greeted by a large crowd and senior dignitaries including Kerala governor and chief minister, and enthusiastic supporters as he began his Kerala visit.

PM flagged off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains and one passenger service — a major boost to regional rail connectivity across Kerala and beyond. The new trains, connecting Kerala with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, are aimed at enhancing travel accessibility, tourism and trade.

Prime Minister Modi unveiled the PM SVANidhi Credit Card, a UPI-linked, interest-free facility for street vendors and informal workers, and also distributed SVANidhi loans to benefits to select beneficiaries in a program.

PM Modi interacted with a group of prominent seers and spiritual leaders in Kerala, discussing cultural heritage, social harmony and development initiatives — an important symbolic outreach during the visit.

Senior BJP leaders, including Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other state leaders, welcomed the Prime Minister on stage during the rally, presenting traditional shawls and bouquets.

In his address to a rally, PM lauded voters for recent civic poll results, interacted with the crowd, and spoke — including in Malayalam. He emphasizing that Kerala’s progress is vital to national growth, saying further the Centre’s focus on urban infrastructure, welfare schemes, and economic opportunities for citizens across sectors