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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked the people of Kerala to think of their future and not just change regimes, as he continued his tirade against ruling United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front saying both have failed to provide even drinking water to them in so many years.
Addressing his second election rally in Kuttnad in Kerala, Modi also accused the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist of covering each other's corruption and said they would get to know that governments have to work for the people only when they are defeated.
"Kerala is surrounded by water but still there is no drinking water here. India will next year complete 70 years of her freedom. Both Congress and Communists have ruled the state by turn (all these years) but they are not concerned about even providing drinking water," Modi, whose party has so far played a marginal role in state politics, said.
Asking the people whether those who have failed to provide even basic things like drinking water should be elected or not, Modi said "both the Congress and Communists are in sync when it comes to indulging in corruption."
"These people have decided to taste power for five years in rotation. This way, they decided not to look each other's sins and open their files (expose corruption)," he said.
"You need to think if you just have to change the government or your future also," Modi exhorted the crowd. This was his second election rally in the Southern State, which is all set to go for polls on May 16.
Earlier in the day at a poll rally at Kasaragod, Modi had taken a dig at the two main political parties of Kerala, saying both were "insulting" the educated people of Kerala through their adjustment politics.
"A new model of politics has come up in Kerala. It is an adjustment politics, politics of compromise, politics of corruption and politics of contract to save each other," he said at the election meeting at Kasaragod.
"It is a contract rule between the UDF and the LDF. For five years you rule and for another five years we will rule". This is how the two Fronts have been returning to power in the state, Modi said attacking the two Fronts in the state," he had said.
Slamming the Congress and CPI-M for their "jugal-bandi", Modi said, "The Congress does not change its nature of corruption and communists do not change the nature of violence".
Lashing out at previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre and the UDF government in Kerala, he said, "While there were various corruption cases like the 2G, 3G and coal scam in Delhi during the UPA rule, it was a corruption in Solar (Energy) in Kerala."
He said the people of the country were against corruption and this was evident from the way the Congress was reduced to 40 members in the Parliament in the last general elections.
The Congress under Rajiv Gandhi (in 1984) had come to power with over 400 seats, while it has only 40 members of Parliament in the present Lok Sabha, he said.
Mentioning a remark of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi that when Centre releases one rupee for a state, only 15 paise reaches it, Modi asked, "Who is stealing off the remaining amount?".
He said during the last two years of NDA government's rule, there was not a single case of corruption against it.
Giving details of the steps taken by the National Democratic Alliance to weed out corruption, he said a system of providing gas subsidy was made directly to the beneficiaries.
"Chori (theft) to a tune of Rs 21,000 crore ended with this new system," Modi said.
He said the government's main mantra is "development for all and corruption-free governance."
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduces BJP candidate Sadanandan Master, who was attacked by CPI-M workers, at an election campaign rally in Kasaragod. Photograph: PTI