PM Modi commences two-day Kerala visit with roadshow in Kochi

Thiruvananthapuram: A second roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kerala in less than two weeks time witnessed a rousing reception.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, thronged the roads of Kochi and showered flowers on him amid chants of 'Modi, Modi'.

The Prime Minister who reached Kochi by evening carried out a nearly-two kilometer long road show. BJP Kerala state president K Surendran also flanked Modi on the open vehicle. 

The PM, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala, is likely to announce major development projects for the state on Wednesday. 

He will be attending actor-turned-politician and former Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi's daughter's marriage at the famed Guruvayur temple in Thrissur district. He will also have 'darshan' at the temple. PM Modi will also visit the Thriprayar Shree Ramaswamy temple in the district.

Later, he will commission a drydock and international ship repair facility at Cochin Shipyard and Indian Oil Corporation’s LPG import terminal in Kochi. Modi will also hold talks with BJP's Shakti Kendra in-charges at the district.

The PM's back-to-back Kerala visit stresses on BJP's all out effort to open a Lok Sabha account from the state which has historically shied away from voting for the saffron party. 

In April 2023, PM Modi staged a roadshow in Kochi as part of 'Yuvam conclave'. Besides, he also took out a rally in Thrissur on January 3.

During his address, he stressed on the development and welfare initiatives of the Centre and highlighted them as 'Modiyude guarantee' (Modi's guarantee in Malayalam). It has now become BJP's catch word for the upcoming Lok Sabha election campaigns.

BJP is focusing on at least six of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala where the party fared well in the previous elections.

Thrissur, where Suresh Gopi contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, has considerably improved BJP's vote share. Hence, BJP is pinning its hopes on Thrissur now. The party is also trying to woo the Christian voters this time.