KOCHI: With just hours left for the curtain to fall on open campaigning, political parties left no stone unturned to woo voters on Monday, with national heavyweights from all three fronts crisscrossing the state, trading sharp accusations and making ambitious promises.
Kerala turned into a battleground of narratives, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, BJP stalwarts Amit Shah and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Karnataka Congress leaders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, hitting the campaign trail. CPM veteran Prakash Karat held fort for the LDF, asserting confidence in LDF government’s “sterling performance”.
At a blistering rally in Palakkad, Rahul sharpened the Congress attack, alleging a “deliberate and strategic understanding” between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “When the BJP continuously targets me… why is there no action against the Kerala CM? This is clear evidence of a political understanding,” he said. Rahul claimed Modi was “operating under pressure” from Donald Trump, alleging geopolitical and corporate leverage shaping India’s policy choices.
Echoing the charge, Priyanka, addressing meetings across north Kerala, said people were “victims of a corrupt government that has worked more for corporates than for the people”. Priyanka flagged unemployment, youth migration, and what she termed a crumbling healthcare system, adding that “even as Wayanad MP, it has been very difficult to get assistance from the government”.
The BJP, however, flipped the script. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, campaigning in Palakkad, placed farmers at the centre of NDA’s pitch, calling Kerala’s current procurement system “a structural injustice”. Promising universal MSP procurement and direct transfers, he accused both LDF and UDF of having “failed farmers” and perpetuating policy paralysis.
Shah energises NDA, DKS flays CM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s roadshow in Haripad injected visible energy into the NDA campaign, with hundreds lining the route amid traditional performances and tight security, signalling the party’s push to expand its footprint. Earlier, Shah took stock of the NDA’s election campaign in the state at the BJP headquarters in Thiruvanthapuram, where he also hoisted the party flag to mark BJP’s 47th foundation day.
Adding a cross-border dimension, Siddaramaiah campaigned in Manjeshwar, underlining the constituency’s cultural and political links with Karnataka.
Shivakumar went a step further, challenging Pinarayi Vijayan to show “even a single major investment”, alleging an exodus of youth from the state and lack of development.
Amid the political blitz, election authorities moved to enforce the Model Code of Conduct strictly. With polling set for April 9, public campaigning must end by 6pm on Tuesday, marking the start of the mandatory 48-hour “silence period”.
District officials warned that no rallies, vehicle campaigns, loudspeakers, or even social media campaigning aimed at influencing voters would be permitted. Non-local political workers must exit constituencies, and a liquor ban will remain in force until polling concludes.
As the noise tapers into silence, Kerala heads into a decisive electoral moment—after a campaign where rhetoric soared as high as the stakes.
(With inputs from bureaus)