Keralam CM VD Satheesan Meets PM Modi In First Official Delhi Talks After UDF Victory

Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday in his first official interaction with the Prime Minister after leading the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to a sweeping victory in the Keralam Assembly elections.

The meeting assumed political significance as it came shortly after the UDF ended the decade-long rule of the Left Democratic Front led by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Prime Minister’s Office also shared photographs of the meeting.

CM Satheesan, accompanied by Keralam Chief Secretary A Jayathilak, held discussions with PM Modi at the Prime Minister’s Office for nearly 20 minutes.

Sources said the Chief Minister submitted a detailed memorandum seeking Central assistance for several development projects and financial support for the state.

The discussions reportedly focused on infrastructure development, pending railway and highway projects, disaster relief assistance and Keralam’s overall financial position.

The state government also raised several pending issues requiring Central intervention.

Despite the political significance of the meeting, CM Satheesan did not reveal details of the discussions while leaving the venue.

During his Delhi visit, CM Satheesan is staying at Keralam House and will meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek additional financial support for the state. He will also meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before returning to Thiruvananthapuram.

Political observers view the visit as an indication that the newly elected UDF government intends to maintain a pragmatic working relationship with the BJP-led Central government despite sharp political differences between the two sides.

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