PM Modi to visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu on February 14 as countdown to elections winds down

Ahead of Kerala and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the two poll-bound states on February 14, 2021, sources have said. The PM will inaugurate the Integrated Refinery Expansion Complex at BPCL, Kochi. On the same day, he may also meet the state's BJP leadership. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will visit Tamil Nadu and participate in events including the inauguration of the Chennai Metro Rail service to Wimco Nagar. On February 7, PM had visited Bengal and Assam.

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PM Modi Assam & Bengal Visit 

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited two polls-bound states - Assam and West Bengal. He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several development projects. As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ramps up its campaigning efforts ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, this was the Prime Minister's second visit to the two polls-bound states in the last 2 weeks. 

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Nadda pitches Centre's contribution for Kerala

Ahead of elections in Kerala, BJP president JP Nadda while addressing a public meeting in Thrissur on Thursday, highlighted the Centre's contribution towards ensuring the welfare of the people of the state. For instance, he mentioned that Rs.12,000 crore will be spent on six mega projects whose foundation stones have been laid. Maintaining that special focus has been given to Kerala under PM Modi's leadership, Nadda cited Rs.16,000 crore spent for BPCL's Integrated Refinery Expansion Complex in Kochi, Rs.3,000 crore spent on a 450 km long natural gas pipeline from Kochi to Mangaluru and the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor.

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Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are due in April-May 2021 and the political parties have started their campaigns. While DMK's MK Stalin is eyeing becoming Chief Minister for the first time, CM E Palaniswami (EPS) is fighting for his re-election. The BJP is allied with the AIADMK and is in said to be in talks with Stalin's estranged brother MK Alagiri. On the other side, AIADMK has said that they are the big-brother within the NDA alliance though the party faces its own split on account of the release of Sasikala from jail. Meanwhile, Kamal Hassan has put a halt to his campaign trail due to leg surgery. Superstar Rajinikanth who was about to launch his party this year has backed out due to health reasons. Puducherry will also go to polls at the same time and there is trouble in the Congress-DMK alliance as the Stalin-led party has announced its own CM face.

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