Telangana CM Revanth Reddy (left) and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday pushed back against remarks made by his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy, accusing him of being “misinformed” and unfairly criticising the state during a campaign visit.In a Facebook post, Vijayan said Reddy was “ridiculing” Kerala and its people while overlooking issues within his own state.“By conveniently ignoring the bulldozing of the homes of the poor in his own state, he appears ready to lecture Kerala on social progress and public welfare — clearly, he has been seriously misinformed by someone,” Vijayan wrote.“Telangana chief minister is welcome to Kerala to learn about welfare models”, the Kerala CM said, referring to Reddy’s campaign for UDF candidates ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls in Kerala.Inviting Reddy to visit the state, Vijayan said Kerala continues to advance through “sustainable and inclusive development,” while alleging that the Telangana leader was supporting narratives aimed at undermining it.Responding to allegations of corruption and administrative lapses, Vijayan said, “He claims that Kerala is marked by ‘corruption and administrative failure’, but he should be willing to look at official data. Is he unaware that Kerala is among the least corrupt states in the country?”He cited figures to back his claims, noting that Kerala topped the NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Index (2023–24) with 79 points, while Telangana ranked sixth.
Highlighting social indicators, Vijayan added, “According to NITI Aayog data, Kerala’s poverty rate is just 0.55 per cent — the lowest in India.” He contrasted this with Telangana’s poverty rate of 5.88 per cent.On health and education, Vijayan said Kerala continues to outperform. “Kerala’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has dropped to 5 per 1,000 live births,” he said, adding that it was lower than in countries such as the United States.
He also pointed out that Kerala’s literacy rate stands at 95.3 per cent compared to Telangana’s 76.9 per cent.“In Telangana, the IMR is said to be nearly four times higher. Due to strong healthcare systems, an average Malayali lives 5 to 7 years longer than the average Indian,” Vijayan said.Questioning Reddy’s criticism, he asked, “When his own government seeks to learn from Kerala’s initiatives, how is it that the chief minister himself ridicules them? What greater political hypocrisy could there be?”Vijayan also rejected Reddy’s charge that the Kerala government was aligned with the Centre, instead accusing the Congress of failing to effectively oppose central policies that he said were financially constraining the state.“Let me humbly say that Kerala has nothing to learn from a chief minister who leads a government where salaries and pensions are frequently delayed,” Vijayan added.Concluding his remarks, Vijayan said, “It is Revanth Reddy who should learn lessons in governance from Kerala. He is welcome to visit Kerala to study its welfare model.”The response came after Reddy, while campaigning for UDF candidates, launched a sharp attack on the Vijayan government.
Addressing public meetings, he alleged that the state administration had remained “silent” on stalled national infrastructure projects, including key highway works.Reddy also urged voters to “teach a lesson” to both the BJP and the CPM, accusing the Centre of misusing agencies such as the ED and CBI and claiming that CPM leaders were being spared due to political arrangements.Even as he criticised the current government, the Telangana chief minister acknowledged Kerala’s progress in literacy, education and social development, attributing those achievements to former Congress-led administrations.
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