Maharashtra CM Fadnavis campaigns for BJP candidates in Keralam; key highlights of his visit

Maharashtra Chief Minister CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed strong confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP will form the government in Keralam in the near future citing growing public support and the partys expanding grassroots presence in the stateAddressing public meetings in Varkala and Attingal Fadnavis described Keralam as a sacred land and stated that the time has come for the BJP to take charge to protect its culture heritage and ensure allround development under the leadership of Prime Minister PM Narendra ModiHighlighting the BJPrsquos steady growth in the state Fadnavis noted that the party has progressed from a phase where it used to lose elections to now having one Member of Parliament a mayor two municipal chairpersons 32 panchayat heads and over 600 corporators He added that the National Democratic Alliance NDA is steadily expanding and people are increasingly supporting the BJP because it focuses on development rather than appeasement politicsFadnavis pays tribute to slain workersThe Maharashtra CM paid rich tributes to BJP workers who faced violence stating that more than 300 karyakartas have been killed and many others injured in the state He expressed happiness that Sadanandan Master who lost both his legs in a political attack has now become a Rajya Sabha memberDrawing parallels with states such as Tripura Assam and West Bengal mdash where the BJP has brought about political change mdashFadnavis asserted that all eyes are now on KeralamDevelopment push under PM ModiThe Maharashtra CM credited the Central Government under PM Modi for significant infrastructure growth in Keralam He particularly highlighted the rapid progress of the Vizhinjam International Seaport which has seen a sharp rise in container traffic and is now ranked 83rd globally Operations at the port began in 2024 after years of delay and it is expected to generate largescale employment in the coming yearsFadnavis also mentioned ongoing projects includingStrengthening of bunkering facilitiesExpansion of railway infrastructure with modern trains such as Vande Bharat and Amrit BharatRedevelopment of railway stationsDevelopment of a dedicated rare earth corridor and logistics parkMajor highway expansions under the Bharatmala Project including National Highway 66He added that smart city projects in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram along with pipeline infrastructure in Kochi are improving urban life and ensuring better access to basic servicesCriticism of LDF and UDFFadnavis sharply criticised both the Left Democratic Front LDF and United Democratic Front UDF governments and said that they have failed to fulfil even a single promise made to the people He pointed out unfinished projects in Varkala such as a hightech market an Ayurvedic hospital and the proposed ldquoAyurveda Global Villagerdquo on 63 acresThe Maharashtra CM further highlighted the severe drinking water crisis in Varkala lack of medicines and doctors in local hospitals and the absence of progress on the Dakshin Kashi project despite central funding Fadnavis also accused the state government of not acting on a joint report prepared for the protection and rehabilitation of VarkalaFadnavis says corruption cases should be handed over to CBIReferring to corruption allegations in the state Fadnavis demanded that all such cases be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI for impartial investigation He accused certain Communist Party of India CPI leaders of having proximity to opposition figures and mismanaging community propertiesGrassroots campaignFadnavis informed that an extensive padyatra covering nearly 160 kilometres was conducted across every panchayat in the Attingal Constituency over the past 10 days in which thousands of people including women and children participated despite challenging weather He claimed that even the traditional supporters of CPIMarxist and the Congress are now seeking changeSenior BJP leaders including Manoj Kotak candidate Advocate Smita Sundarasan and several others were present on the stage during the meetingsFadnavis urged the people of Keralam to support educated and capable representatives who can ensure transparency inclusivity and real development in the stateThe address comes as the BJP intensifies its campaign ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections focusing on development good governance and welfare schemes like Mudra Yojana for women and youth empowerment