Huge turnout as PM Modi lands at Pathanamthitta amid sweltering heat

Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Pathanamthitta in Kerala on Friday on his first visit to the state after the list of BJP candidates to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was announced.

The Congress received a big jolt when the children of two former Congress Chief Ministers — K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony — were seated to the left and right of PM Modi. Despite the sweltering heat more than 50,000 people waited for hours to hear the Prime Minister at the Pathanamthitta stadium.

A sizeable number of people who could not get a seat inside the stadium were seen gathered outside the stadium.

The highlight of PM Modi’s visit, a day before the dates of the Lok Sabha polls will be announced on Saturday, was to put the election campaign in Pathanamthitta in particular and the state in general in top gear for the BJP-led NDA.

At Pathanamthitta, the BJP has fielded Anil Antony, son of the country’s longest serving Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

PM Modi was seen speaking to Anil for a while and he also greeted Padmaja Venugopal — daughter of late former Chief Minister Karunakaran — with folded hands when her name was called to present him a souvenir.

In his brief speech PM Modi slammed both the traditional political rivals there, the Congress and the Left, who according to him have cheated the people. It is time for a change as there is a need for the BJP Parliament members from Kerala to be sent to Delhi to learn about how the BJP government is functioning.

This is PM Modi’s fourth visit to the state since the New Year and he will be coming again on Sunday for his party’s election campaign at Palakkad.

He arrived in Pathanamthitta from Tamil Nadu on a helicopter and after his speech, he left for Kochi from where he will fly to Telangana.

–IANS

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