Pinarayi Vijayan vs Revanth Reddy letter duel continues to spice up Kerala poll campaign

Kottayam: Keeping their verbal confrontation alive and spicy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday replied to his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy's letter, strongly rebutting his remarks on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and defending Kerala’s development record. He also objected to what he termed 'personally insulting remarks' in political discourse.

In his letter, Vijayan said the statements by Revanth Reddy, in his letter on Monday, on Kerala’s governance 'lack factual backing’ and do not reflect the experience of the people of the State. He also took exception to the tone of criticism, stating that political differences should not be settled through personal remarks.

“At the outset, let me clarify that I am not intending to get into a debate with you on the performance of your Government in Telangana,” Vijayan said, adding that it was for the people of Telangana to assess their government’s performance.

The Kerala Chief Minister noted that Revanth Reddy’s comments were made during the ongoing election campaign in Kerala and asserted that the LDF government had consistently reported progress in implementing its manifesto promises over the past decade. Accountability, he said, was a continuous process and not confined to five-year electoral cycles.

Responding to remarks on Kerala’s social indicators, Vijayan pointed out that the State continued to rank first in NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals Index, while Telangana was placed sixth. He rejected the claim that Kerala’s achievements were solely the result of earlier governments, arguing that the Left movement and successive LDF governments had played a decisive role in shaping the State’s development trajectory.

Highlighting key initiatives, Vijayan cited the Ardram Mission, which has transformed public healthcare by upgrading over 670 primary health centres, and the Public Education Rejuvenation Mission, under which more than 13,000 schools have been modernised and 45,000 classrooms equipped with high-tech facilities. He also referred to governance indices that rank Kerala among the least corrupt States.

The Chief Minister also underlined Kerala’s push towards a knowledge economy, backed by its 2026 IT Policy, the Digital Science Park and a growing network of deep-tech startups. Projects such as the Vizhinjam International Seaport position the State as a global transhipment hub, he said, highlighting social sector achievements, including the State being declared free of extreme poverty in November 2025 under the Extreme Poverty Eradication Project.

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Vijayan recalled that key reforms such as the Agrarian Relations Bill were disrupted in the past due to the dismissal of a Communist government under Article 356. He also accused previous Congress-led governments at the Centre of delaying major infrastructure projects in Kerala. On Centre-State relations, Vijayan alleged that Kerala faces 'discrimination and neglect' from the BJP-led Union Government, adding that his government was at the forefront of defending federal principles and constitutional values through legal battles in the Supreme Court.

“I assure you the following: We will go, but only forward. We will move forward by creating a Nava Keralam that will serve as a model for all,” Vijayan concluded, asserting that strong political positions need not cross 'the borders of decency'.

The face-off between the two Chief Ministers began after Revanth Reddy said during his election campaign in Kerala that Vijayan's time was over, and gave Mohanlal's iconic dialogue "Nee Po Mone Dinesha..." his own variant. Vijayan hit back with a statement, describing the Telangana CM as 'misinformed' and accused him of 'ridiculing' Kerala and its people. Revanth Reddy responded to this on Monday with a six-page letter as both kept making claims and counterclaims. Vijayan had hinted a strong rebuttal earlier on Tuesday, when during a press conference, he said "Dash mone Revantha.." and added that Reddy would get his reply soon.