Several states and Union Territories (UTs) are getting ready for general elections. States like Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and UT like Puducherry will hold general elections to their respective Legislative Assemblies this month. Political parties are now running campaigns in these states. An interesting manifesto has now surfaced from Kerala. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has promised to legalise safe car modifications if they are voted to power!
Kerala’s political landscape has - UDF and LDF ( Left Democratic Front) - Congress and the Communists. The state’s legislative assembly, as of April 2026, has zero representation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The competition is going to be fierce this time. Both LDF and UDF have been quite active with their online campaigns and social media outreach in recent days.
On April 6th, a poster was shared on what claims to be the Instagram handle of VD. Satheesan, UDF Chairman and current leader of opposition in Kerala. Text on the creative reads ‘UDF for auto-enthusiasts. The UDF manifesto promises to legalise vehicle modifications that aren’t dangerous.’
You read that right! The manifesto proposes to change the way vehicle modification is perceived and treated in Kerala. The south Indian state is known for its zero-tolerance policy toward ‘illegal’ vehicle modifications.
Many disbelieved the creative. Some even doubted if the Instagram handle with 129K followers, which isn't 'verified' yet (no Blue tick!), was pumping out hoaxes to drive votes.
Soon, online media outlets approached the politician for detailed comments on the poster. Satheesan can be seen confirming what is said in the poster, in the above video. He, however, emphasised that only 'safe' and 'harmless' modifications will be permitted.
We have come across news of strict crackdowns by the state’s Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) and other enforcement agencies, on modifications that do not comply with regulations. In many cases, even harmless alterations are considered illegal, and penalised. This is expected to change if this political party rises to power.
Considering how big Kerala’s auto-enthusiast community is, and the rich car culture there, lifting the ban on modifications is indeed a strong peg to drive votes. Let’s keep politics aside and look at it from an enthusiast perspective. Cosmetic modifications like changing to a different colour or installing decals or vinyls can elevate the overall aesthetics of a car or SUV and give the owner a sheer sense of happiness and satisfaction. These are relatively harmless alterations.
In many cases, even these are considered illegal and fined. If the ban lifts and modifications are facilitated with strict regulations (just like new car sales or any other business), it will be rewarding in the larger picture. It will create more employment and open up an entire ecosystem related to aftermarket parts and accessories.
For customers, this move would mean lesser fines and more peace of mind. As enthusiasts, we would want more parties to add this to their respective manifestos.
Circling back, the UDF Chairman’s post has been getting a lot of attention online. It has had over 12.5K shares at the time of writing. A lot of people have been commenting, welcoming the move. Some even pointed out how modified off-roader SUVs, which are usually targeted heavily by the motor vehicle department, were used in search and rescue operations in the floods that the state went through in 2018 and 2019. The comment section shows how much people wish for the enforcement to ease, in Kerala.
If made legal, the modification and aftermarket spaces should be put under strict regulatory guidelines. These are needed to ensure that these alterations are safe and harmless to people and other vehicles. Modifications that cause nuisance (think of loud air horns, or high-intensity lights) or are unsafe have to be outlawed and enforcement measures should focus on penalising these, instead of alterations in general.