Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, responded to criticism from Telangana’s Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, during Reddy’s recent visit to Kerala for campaign purposes. Vijayan accused Reddy of being misinformed and belittling Kerala while ignoring issues in his own state. Vijayan invited Reddy to Kerala to learn about the state’s welfare models and emphasized Kerala’s progress through sustainable development.
Vijayan defended Kerala’s record, stating that it ranked highly in the NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Index and had low poverty rates compared to Telangana. He highlighted Kerala’s achievements in education and healthcare, showcasing the state’s high literacy rate and low infant mortality rate. Vijayan questioned Reddy’s criticisms and accused him of political hypocrisy for failing to acknowledge Kerala’s successful initiatives.
Furthermore, Vijayan refuted Reddy’s claims of collusion with the Centre and criticized the Congress for not opposing policies that financially burdened Kerala. He concluded by suggesting that Reddy could benefit from learning governance lessons from Kerala’s welfare model. This exchange followed Reddy’s sharp critique of the Vijayan government during his campaign for UDF candidates in the upcoming Assembly polls in Kerala.