Revanth takes full credit for Telangana’s growth, but faults Vijayan for relying on legacy gains

Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy claimed full credit for Telangana’s growth while criticising Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan for relying on legacy gains. He dismissed the BRS decade as disastrous and ended his letter with a mocking remark aimed at Vijayan

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy made no hesitation in taking full credit for Telangana’s growth, while faulting his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for relying on legacy gains. He dismissed the previous BRS government’s rule as a disastrous decade.

In a strongly worded letter ahead of his Kerala campaign, Revanth Reddy criticised Vijayan for taking credit for Kerala’s social indicators built over decades, arguing that such achievements were cumulative and not the result of a single government. At the same time, he claimed full credit for Telangana’s top rankings in per capita income and GSDP growth, while dismissing the decade-long BRS rule as disastrous.

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On literacy, he said Telangana witnessed an increase from 72 per cent in 2011 to 76.9 per cent within a decade. However, he did not acknowledge that much of this growth took place during the BRS government’s tenure.

Revanth Reddy termed the veteran CPI leader’s claims outdated from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023-24, but failed to present clear, updated data to substantiate Telangana’s current position.

Countering Vijayan’s remarks on the Congress government sending teams to learn from Kerala’s ‘Ente Bhoomi’ initiative, Revanth Reddy claimed he had never mocked the system, but had only criticised the CPI veteran’s political governance. He also defended his controversial remarks on an alleged BJP-CPI nexus in Kerala, stating that he merely echoed public opinion in the State.

While attacking his Kerala counterpart over brain drain and industrial stagnation, the Telangana Chief Minister did not highlight any major achievements under the current Congress government in Telangana. He also avoided addressing concerns about companies reportedly shifting operations out of the State after the change in government.

He argued that Telangana’s performance must be viewed in the context of its relatively recent formation in 2014, contrasting it with Kerala’s longer governance history.

Revanth Reddy’s letter, which appeared largely AI-generated, lacked clear structure and failed to offer strong rebuttals. On key issues such as poverty, literacy, and healthcare, the letter acknowledged Kerala’s achievements but attempted to dilute them by attributing success to historical factors and previous governments.

Ironically, the Telangana Chief Minister, who began his letter expressing immense regard for the senior leader, ended it with a swipe. Tweaking Mohanlal’s popular dialogue, he concluded: “Ne Po Mone Vijayan” (go away, boy), a slang phrase used in Kerala to dismiss or mock someone.