Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 7 : Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday responded to Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks on his earlier "dark era" comment about Keralam, intensifying the political exchange between the two leaders.
In a six-page letter, Reddy criticised Vijayan for relying on data from the 2023-24 NITI Aayog SDG Index, stating that the figures predate the current Congress government in Telangana and do not reflect its recent progress.
"A quick preliminary observation: virtually every statistic you cite is from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023-24 -- a period representing the tail-end of a disastrous decade for Telangana, when the combined onslaught of the BJP at the Centre and the BRS in the state had pushed our people to an all-time low. That era ended in December 2023. You are measuring our recovery by data that predates our government," said Reddy.
On poverty, Reddy questioned Vijayan's claim that Keralam would eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025, noting that the timeline had passed and asking whether the target had been achieved. While acknowledging Keralam's lower poverty levels, he attributed them to long-term governance and remittances, adding that Telangana is closing the gap.
"More strikingly, you wrote -- and I quote your own tweet -- "By late 2025, Kerala is set to become the first state in the country to completely eradicate extreme poverty." We are now in April 2026. You are speaking of the past in the future tense. Did it happen? Or was it, like many LDF promises, still a work in progress?," he said.
Addressing literacy, Reddy said Keralam's achievements were rooted in historical investments by princely states, while Telangana has made steady gains since its formation in 2014 despite structural challenges.
"Kerala's 95.3% literacy rate versus Telangana's 76.9% is cited to belittle us. But this comparison conflates geography, history and demography. Kerala's near-universal literacy was shaped over a century by the princely states of Travancore and Cochin which prioritised education as early as 1800s -- not by you. Telangana, carved out in 2014 from a state with deep regional inequities, has brought literacy from 72% (2011 Census) to 76.9% in a decade. Our investment in schools and Gurukul institutions continues to narrow this gap," he added.
On healthcare, he termed comparisons between Keralam's infant mortality rate and that of the United States as selective, and highlighted Telangana's improvements in institutional deliveries, healthcare infrastructure and expanded coverage under the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme.
"Your claim that Kerala's IMR of 5 (per 1,000 live births) is better than the USA's 5.6 is a factual cherry-pick. The US figure you cite is national -- it aggregates a highly unequal, insurance-based system. In our own country, Telangana's IMR has fallen sharply, and with Rajiv Aarogyasri now covering ₹10 lakh per family (doubled under our government), 99.9% institutional deliveries and rapid hospital infrastructure expansion, we are on an accelerating trajectory. Kerala's public health achievement is genuinely commendable -- but it took your state 70 years to get there. We are not comparing 70 years with 28 months," he said.
Reddy also extended an invitation to Vijayan for a direct, fact-based discussion, expressing willingness to visit Thiruvananthapuram to present Telangana's data.
"Since you are a senior leader, I am happy to come to Thiruvananthapuram on April 7 and share our data with you directly and equally, to hear your views in a positive, fact-based discussion. I extend this invitation with genuine respect," he wrote in his letter.
The controversy began on April 3, when Revanth Reddy launched a sharp attack on Vijayan while releasing the United Democratic Front (UDF) manifesto for the upcoming Keralam Assembly elections in Kochi, declaring that the "dark era" in the state was coming to an end and a "golden era" under the United Democratic Front (UDF) was set to begin.
Responding to Reddy, Vijayan, on April 4, launched a riposte against Revanth Reddy's recent "disparaging remarks" against Keralam, terming them as "entirely baseless" and suggesting that the Telangana Chief Minister should focus on his own state's shortcomings in poverty and literacy instead of "preaching" to Keralam.
Polling for the 2026 Keralam Legislative Assembly elections will be held on April 9, with the counting of votes on May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is set to conclude on May 23.
Taking to social media platforms, X and Facebook, Vijayan said it was ironic that a leader who "runs bulldozers over the homes of the poor" is questioning Kerala's social progress.
"Telangana CM Shri Revanth Reddy's recent disparaging remarks about Kerala are entirely baseless. It is ironic that someone who runs bulldozers over the homes of the poor in his own state is trying to preach to Kerala about social progress. He has simply become a mouthpiece for those trying to sabotage our sustainable and inclusive development model," Vijayan said.
Responding to Reddy's allegations of "corruption and misgovernance," the Kerala Chief Minsiter cited official NITI Aayog data to highlight the disparity between the two states.
"Before alleging 'corruption and misgovernance' in Kerala, he should check official data. Has he not noticed that Kerala is the least corrupt state in India? In the NITI Aayog SDG Index (2023-24), Kerala stands tall at the 1st position with 79 points, while Telangana is at 6th. Ridiculing Kerala to hide your own state's shortcomings is highly regrettable," Vijayan stated.