Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has written a six-page response to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of relying on ‘outdated data’ selective citations and omissions, while claiming that Telangana’s governance model was delivering ‘faster’ results.

Revanth Reddy alleged that the statistics cited by Vijayan were largely drawn from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023-24, which reflected a period prior to the current government in Telangana. He argued that such data failed to capture the State’s recent progress, stating that “you are measuring our recovery by data that predates our government.” 

Aiming at Vijayan’s claim that Kerala would eradicate extreme poverty, Revanth Reddy questioned whether the target had been achieved, remarking that such promises often remain ‘a work in progress’.

He also cited Kerala’s top ranking in the SDG Index, stating that the State’s achievements were built over decades, including contributions by Congress governments, and could not be appropriated selectively. On poverty, he acknowledged Kerala’s lower rate but attributed it to long-term governance and remittances, while claiming that Telangana was closing the gap rapidly within a shorter time frame.

On literacy, the Telangana Chief Minister argued that Kerala’s near-universal literacy was the result of historical investments dating back to princely states, whereas Telangana had made significant gains within a decade despite starting with structural disadvantages.

He also challenged claims on infant mortality rates, describing comparisons with the United States as misleading, and highlighted Telangana’s expansion of healthcare coverage under Rajiv Aarogyasri and improvements in institutional deliveries.

Referring to Kerala’s digital land records system, Revanth Reddy said Telangana was open to learning from best practices, but accused the LDF government of hypocrisy in its political positioning. He further raised the Kerala gold smuggling case, alleging links to the Chief Minister’s office and questioning the lack of progress in investigations.

On governance, he rejected claims that salary and pension delays had been resolved in Kerala, at the same time claiming that Telangana had ensured timely payments to employees and beneficiaries without exception.

The letter also outlined Telangana’s performance over the past 28 months, citing a 10.1 per cent GSDP growth rate in 2024-25, higher than the national average, and a per capita income of ₹3.79 lakh, placing the State among the top performers in the country. 

Revanth Reddy also pointed to structural challenges in Kerala’s model, including brain drain, dependence on remittances and limited industrial growth, alleging that these issues had not been adequately addressed by the LDF government.

Revanth Reddy also invited Vijayan for a direct, fact-based discussion in Thiruvananthapuram, while asserting that Kerala’s people ‘deserve better than a government that has held power for 10 years and has run out of new answers’, signing off the letter by repeating his “Nee Po, Mone Vijayan!” dialogue.