Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief visit to Kochi on Wednesday blended infrastructure announcements with unmistakable political messaging from the BJP, signalling that the party intends to project itself as the answer to Kerala’s development challenges ahead of the Assembly elections.

The visit indicated that the BJP-led NDA would offer little space to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to claim credit for major announcements linked to infrastructure and development. From the proposed name change of the state to Keralam to the inauguration of two six-lane stretches of National Highway 66, the NDA used the PM’s visit to push its ‘Viksit Keralam’ (Developed Kerala) narrative ahead of the polls.

At what was effectively the formal launch of the NDA’s campaign for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the political momentum seen in recent years would expand across the state. Citing the BJP’s victory in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat and the party’s performance in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Modi said these developments reflected a changing political mood in Kerala and suggested that the trend would spread across the state. He said the people of Kerala were ready to move beyond the traditional Left–UDF political divide. The Prime Minister also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the “Congress prince” was unaware that many companies and young entrepreneurs in India, including in Kerala, were now engaged in drone manufacturing. Modi added that the NDA government would work to transform Kerala into a hub for artificial intelligence and future technologies.

The development pitch
At a function held at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth about ₹10,800 crore. He said the projects marked an opportunity to accelerate Kerala’s development. The prime minister launched projects of different central ministries, including the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Railways during programmes in the coastal city.

Among the key initiatives, Modi laid the foundation stone for a polypropylene plant at BPCL’s Kochi refinery, to be set up at a cost of ₹5,500 crore. He also inaugurated the six-lane Thalappady–Chengala stretch of National Highway 66 and the six-lane Vengalam–Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass. Modi said the projects inaugurated on Wednesday would strengthen the agriculture, industrial and tourism sectors. Investments in infrastructure would create employment opportunities and generate new jobs for thousands of young people in the state, he added.

In the railway sector alone, projects worth around ₹142 crore were inaugurated or dedicated to the nation. The Prime Minister also flagged off the Palakkad–Pollachi train service, which is expected to improve rail connectivity between Kerala and Tamil Nadu and benefit daily commuters, pilgrims, traders and tourists.

As part of the programme, Modi inaugurated three redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram and Changanassery. Ceremonial events were held at Kuttippuram, Shoranur Junction, Changanassery and Palakkad, where local dignitaries, elected representatives, railway officials and passengers participated.

What’s in a name
Another politically significant element of Modi’s speech was his reference to the Centre approving the proposal to rename Kerala as “Keralam.”

“I have come here seeking the blessings of the people. It was the people’s wish to change the name of Kerala to Keralam, and the Central government approved it. I can see the happiness of the people on their faces,” the Prime Minister said while attending the golden jubilee celebrations of the All Kerala Dheevara Sabha at Marine Drive.

However, the move to claim credit for the name change is unlikely to resonate well with the state government, which has been pushing for it since 2023. The Union Cabinet cleared the proposal in 2026 following a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly.

At the All Kerala Dheevara Sabha event, the PM began his speech in Malayalam, greeting the gathering with “Kadalinte makkalke namaskaram” (Greetings, children of the sea). Calling the occasion historic, Modi said the organisation had been working for the rights of fishermen for the past five decades.

The NH66 tussle
The political undertone of the visit became more evident when the Kerala government boycotted the Kaloor event after Public Works Minister P A Mohammed Riyas was not invited to the inauguration ceremony of the two NH66 stretches.

The state government also held a parallel inauguration of the Vengalam–Ramanattukara NH stretch. Although Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was invited, he chose not to attend. State ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty also stayed away from the programme.

However, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar attended the Prime Minister’s programme.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Kochi on Wednesday morning, landing at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) around 11 am. He flew by helicopter to INS Garuda at the Kochi naval base before proceeding to Marine Drive for the Dheevara Sabha event. He later arrived at the Kaloor stadium to inaugurate development projects worth about ₹10,800 crore.

The visit, which lasted about four hours, also marked the formal launch of the NDA’s campaign for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for Tiruchirappalli by 2.30 pm from CIAL.