New Delhi, April 9 (AHN) Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s Kerala State President, on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and the CPI(M), asserting that neither party is capable of delivering development in the state.

Casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrasekhar struck a confident note about the BJP-led NDA’s prospects while dismissing early political speculation.

“This is all very premature. We want to get a clear mandate. We want to win a majority on our own. We want to be able to govern our state, bring the change, bring development,” he told AHN.

In a pointed political swipe, he added, “We don’t believe just by talking about change or talking about development, development will happen. In any case, we don’t believe the CPI(M) and the Congress are capable of bringing any development in our state. Corruption is their main motive.”

He further emphasised that meaningful governance and public benefit would only be possible under the BJP-NDA leadership. “If people need to benefit from their political leaders, the BJP and the NDA have to be in government,” he said.

Chandrasekhar also expressed optimism and gratitude towards party workers, revealing that he had received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I’m extremely happy. It’s a very happy day. I got a call from our Prime Minister just before I reached here, thanking the party workers for all their hard work and wishing the party and the NDA the very best,” he said.

After 23 days of high-voltage campaigning and an equally intense silent push, Kerala stepped into decision day on Thursday, with around 2.71 crore voters set to determine who will govern the state.

Even before dawn broke, the electoral machinery was in motion. By 5.30 a.m., the state’s 30,471 polling booths had sprung to life, with officials initiating mandatory mock polling procedures.

Once completed and the EVMs sealed, a brief lull followed before the real momentum began.

By 6.30 a.m., queues started forming across the state.

At Chooralmala in Wayanad, a region still scarred by the devastating landslide that claimed over 200 lives, the act of voting carried an emotional weight.

Some voters, visibly moved, recalled how family members who stood with them in 2021 were no longer around this time.

The polling, which began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m., spans all 140 constituencies.