War of words escalates between Revanth Reddy and Vijayan as Keralam campaign ends

A public war of words between Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan intensified, with both leaders exchanging letters, defending governance records, and raising allegations, as the dispute turned personal during Keralam’s election campaign, which concluded on Tuesday

Hyderabad: A sharp exchange between Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Keralam counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan escalated on Tuesday, with both leaders trading letters and remarks as campaigning in Keralam drew to a close. The war of words, which began over governance claims and performance comparisons, turned personal as the day progressed. Vijayan objected strongly to what he described as insulting language.

“Political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude I reject,” Vijayan said in a letter to Reddy. He maintained that the Left Democratic Front government remained accountable to the public at all times and that its progress reports were transparent. He also dismissed Revanth Reddy’s claims as lacking factual basis.

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Later in the evening, Revanth Reddy issued what he described as his final response through a post on X. He said he had maintained restraint in criticising the Keralam government but accused Vijayan of lowering the tone of the exchange. “I chose to remain respectful in my criticism. You have used language that does not reflect that standard. I will not respond in the same manner,” Revanth Reddy said, adding that Vijayan would be treated with full respect during any visit to Telangana.

Responding to references made by Vijayan to the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023–24, Reddy argued that the data reflected the final phase of the previous government’s tenure, which ended in December 2023. He urged Vijayan to assess the Congress government’s performance over its 28-month period instead.

Highlighting Telangana’s economic indicators, the Chief Minister said the State’s GSDP for 2024–25 stood at Rs 16.12 lakh crore, with a growth rate of 10 per cent. He also cited RBI data to claim that per capita income had reached Rs 3.87 lakh, surpassing several southern States, including Keralam.

He further challenged Vijayan to present achievements specific to his tenure. Raising questions on governance in Keralam, Revanth Reddy referred to the gold smuggling case and alleged irregularities linked to the Sabarimala temple, asking why those issues remained unresolved.

The latest exchange followed remarks attributed to Vijayan earlier in the day at a press conference in Kannur, where he reportedly responded sharply saying, “Dash mone Revantha, the reply for you is coming soon.”

The confrontation began with Revanth Reddy’s letter on Monday inviting Vijayan to visit Telangana and review its development claims. The letter ended with a pointed remark, “Nee Po, Mone Vijayan (Your time is over)”, signalling the increasingly personal nature of the political sparring.