Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 – Kerala's election campaign is gearing up for a highly charged Saturday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will be campaigning across multiple constituencies, signaling an intense final phase leading up to the polls.
Kerala will go to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators.
Rahul Gandhi will cover three districts in a single day, addressing programs in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, and Idukki, as the Congress-led UDF intensifies its efforts to regain power in the state.
Party insiders indicate that a second round of campaigning by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be announced shortly, with a focus on Wayanad, her Lok Sabha constituency and a crucial political center for the party.
On the other side, PM Modi is set to lead the BJP's charge with a massive rally in Thiruvalla before heading to Thiruvananthapuram for a high-profile 1.5-kilometer roadshow in Nemom, the constituency where state BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar is contesting.
The roadshow is expected to be a major show of strength as the BJP seeks to energize its supporters and expand its electoral reach.
Nemom holds symbolic significance for the BJP, having been the party's only Assembly victory in 2016 before it lost it in 2021.
The party is now making a determined effort to regain lost ground.
Having finished second in at least nine constituencies in the last Assembly election, BJP leaders are optimistic not only about opening their account but also about securing multiple seats this time.
For the Congress-led UDF, the stakes are equally high, with the alliance sensing an opportunity to capitalize on anti-incumbency sentiments and return to power.
The parallel campaigns by PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi underscore the strategic importance of Kerala, even as both national parties deploy their top leadership to sway voters.
With both camps planning return visits in the coming days, Kerala is witnessing a rare direct contest of narrative and momentum between the BJP and Congress at the highest level, turning the state into a key political theater ahead of polling.
