Modi to address election meetings in Kerala on April 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election meetings in Kerala on April 12, BJP State chief P S Sreedharan Pillai said Thursday.

"The Prime Minister will reach Kerala on April 12. He will attend two programmes--one at Kozhikode and another at Thiruvananthapuram," Pillai told PTI.

This is the first visit of Modi to Kerala after the Election Commission issued a notification on March 19 kick starting the poll process in 97 seats spread across 13 states where phase two of the Lok Sabha polls will be held on April 18.

Around ten union ministers would arrive in the state in the coming days to campaign, a senior party leader said.

"Union Textiles minister Smriti Irani will reach the state on April 9, while External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will be here on April 11," he said.

Party sources said Home minister Rajnath Singh will reach the state on April 13 and on April 15, Transport minister Nithin Gadkari will campaign for the party.

Defence Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reach the state on April 16 and Piyush Goyal on April 19.

Minority Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will campaign for the party on April 20 and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will reach the state on April 21.