Revanth Dares Vijayan for Debate on Development
Telangana CM counters Kerala claims, cites growth, governance and reforms
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday strongly countered remarks made by his Kerala counterpart, Pinarayi Vijayan, challenging a direct, fact-based debate on the comparative performance of Telangana and Kerala.
Responding to Vijayan’s recent posts on X claiming Kerala’s superior performance across several sectors, Revanth Reddy said he would be in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday and invited the veteran leader for an open discussion.
The Chief Minister said Vijayan’s assertions were based on “misstatements, selective citations and glaring omissions.” He pointed out that most of the data cited by Vijayan was drawn from the Niti Aayog SDG Index 2023-24, which reflected a period prior to the Congress government assuming office in Telangana in December 2023.
“You are measuring our recovery using outdated data that predates our government,” he said, questioning whether Kerala had indeed achieved its stated goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2025.
Revanth Reddy offered a point-by-point rebuttal, stating that Kerala’s top ranking in the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Index was the result of decades of governance by multiple regimes, including Congress governments led by leaders like K. Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy. He argued that Telangana, a much younger state formed in 2014, had made rapid strides in reducing poverty and improving literacy within a short period.
On social indicators, Revanth Reddy acknowledged Kerala’s achievements in health, literacy and tourism but stressed that Telangana was closing the gap quickly through sustained investments in education and healthcare. He highlighted improvements in infant mortality rates and expansion of healthcare coverage under the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme.
Taking a swipe at the Kerala government, Revanth Reddy also raised concerns about issues such as alleged irregularities linked to the Kerala gold smuggling case and questioned the state’s industrial growth, foreign direct investment inflows and dependence on Gulf remittances. He alleged that Kerala was grappling with brain drain and limited employment opportunities for its youth.
Highlighting Telangana’s progress over the past 28 months, Revanth said the state recorded a GSDP growth of 10.1 per cent in 2024–25, surpassing the national average, with total GSDP crossing `16.12 lakh crore. He added that Telangana ranked among the top states in per capita income and contributed nearly 5 per cent to the national GDP despite its smaller geographical and population share.
Revanth Reddy also listed key initiatives undertaken by his government, including large-scale housing schemes, social justice measures such as caste surveys and sub-classification of Scheduled Castes, progressive legislation for gig workers and parents, and major infrastructure projects like metro rail expansion, regional ring roads and a proposed bullet train hub.
On the contentious issue of rehabilitation, the Chief Minister clarified that families displaced from encroachments along water bodies had been provided 2BHK housing, financial assistance and compensation. “Not a single poor family has been left without recourse,” he said, denying 'bulldozer' remarks made by Vijayan.
In a sharply worded closing remark, borrowing a popular line from Malayalam film Narasimham dialogue associated with actor Mohanlal, Revanth Reddy said, “Nee Po, Mone Vijayan" (Go away Vijayan, your time is over).
