In a high-decibel start to the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Assembly election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the Left, accusing them of playing “petty politics” while the Centre worked hard to ensure the safety of millions of Indians in the Gulf.The PM’s visit to Kochi, intended to blend a development blitz with sharp political posturing, saw the inauguration of projects worth Rs 10,800 crore. However, the event was overshadowed by a total boycott of the PM’s official engagements by the CPM-led LDF government, which cited the “deliberate exclusion” of state Public Works Minister PA Mohammed Riyas from the official ceremony to dedicate two key stretches of the widened NH-66 as an “insult to the state”.Addressing a massive gathering at Kaloor after a spirited roadshow, PM Modi raised the issue of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf, many of whom are reportedly living in anxiety due to the Iran-US conflict. “When lakhs of our brothers and sisters in the Gulf are worried about their safety, the Congress is busy making ‘reels’ to criticise Modi,” the PM said. He further slammed both the Left and the Congress for spreading “misinformation” even during times of conflict, asserting that the Centre was committed to protecting the diaspora while the Opposition remained mired in “negative propaganda”.The PM dedicated two vital stretches — the Thalapady-Chengala and Vengalam-Ramanattukara — of the six-lane National Highway 66 in the state to the nation. He also laid the foundation stone for a Rs 5,500-crore polypropylene plant at the BPCL Kochi Refinery, a move he claimed would revolutionise the textiles and automobile sectors under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Other projects commissioned included the electrification of the Shoranur-Nilambur rail line and the 50 MW West Kallada floating solar project.”If Kerala gives the NDA a chance this time, I give you ‘Modi’s guarantee’ that we will sweep away the corruption, red-tape and ‘hartal’ mafias that have stalled growth for decades,” Modi declared. He framed the upcoming election as a necessary escape from the “unholy alliance” of the LDF and UDF, which he claimed had betrayed the state’s youth.The political friction reached a boiling point earlier in the day when no state minister, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, turned up to receive the PM at Cochin International Airport. Instead, the PM was welcomed by the Chief Secretary and the District Collector. The LDF government hit back at the Centre for excluding minister Riyas from the NH-66 inauguration, arguing that the state had contributed significantly to land acquisition costs.In a defiant gesture of “parallel inauguration”, CPM MLA CH Kunhambu cut a ribbon at the Kasaragod reach of the highway just minutes before the PM landed in Kochi. Later, Riyas criticised the Centre for allowing the state BJP president on an official stage while excluding the state’s PWD minister.”This is not a political rally but an official function of the government. The BJP is trying to hijack the credit for projects the LDF government made possible,” Riyas said.Escalating his rhetoric, the PM also linked both fronts to recent scandals, alleging that the UDF was defined by the Solar scam while the LDF was now synonymous with the CMRL controversy. He further accused the Congress of a “Maoist shift” and of aligning with extremist elements like the Jamaat-e-Islami for electoral gains.