With campaign intensity rising ahead of the Assembly elections, Saturday is set to be a crucial day for both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address multiple public meetings and take part in roadshows across key districts.

Modi’s programme is centred in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam. He is scheduled to arrive at Thiruvananthapuram airport around 2.30 pm and will travel by helicopter to the NSS College ground in Changanassery. He will then proceed to Thiruvalla to address a public meeting at the Public Stadium at 3 pm.

Later, the PM will return to Thiruvananthapuram to lead a roadshow at 5 pm from Killippalam to Karamana. The 1.5-km stretch is expected to draw a large crowd of party workers and supporters. Traffic restrictions will be in place in parts of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram districts from noon in view of the events. 

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi will campaign across Alappuzha, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. His day begins with a public meeting at Kavunkal in Mannanchery, Alappuzha, at 10.15 am, followed by another gathering at Kattappana in Idukki at 12 noon. He will then address a meeting in Fort Kochi at 1.45 pm and conclude his campaign for the day with a public meeting at Pattimattom in Kunnathunadu, Ernakulam, at 2.45 pm.

This marks Modi’s second visit to Kerala for the ongoing campaign. During his earlier visit on March 29, he addressed a public meeting in Palakkad and led a roadshow in Thrissur, where he sharply criticised both the LDF and the UDF, accusing them of engaging in “adjustment politics” and failing the state through decades of governance.

Framing the BJP-led NDA as a credible alternative, Modi alleged that successive governments had misused public funds and fostered “negative politics”. He also claimed that despite their public rivalry, the LDF and UDF function as “practical partners,” united in their opposition to the NDA. 

Rahul Gandhi has also been actively campaigning across Kerala in recent days, drawing significant public attention by reaching out to voters in rural areas and sharing the stage with local candidates.
Kerala will go to the polls on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.