Only NDA model can save Kerala’s mismanaged economy: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday accused the LDF government of economic mismanagement and lacking vision, asserting that only the NDA development model under Prime Minister Narendra Modi could revive the state's fortunes.

Addressing a press conference, Chandrasekhar acknowledged that borrowing is not inherently problematic but criticized Kerala's failure to channel funds into productive infrastructure. "In states ruled by the BJP-led NDA, loans are taken and invested in productive infrastructure. In Kerala, nobody knows where the money has gone," he charged.

While conceding not every LDF decision was flawed, he lambasted the overall economic governance as a failure, marked by the collapse of investment promotion efforts and absence of coherent strategy. Central funding to Kerala has surged nearly 450 per cent, including Rs 22 lakh crore in tax devolution, yet the state's debt has ballooned to Rs 4,88,910 crore in 2025-26. Nearly 92 per cent of expenditure now services loans and salaries, leaving scant room for growth initiatives.

Chandrasekhar linked this fiscal bind to Kerala topping unemployment and inflation charts after a decade of LDF rule. He alleged a "tacit understanding" between CPI(M) and Congress, both routinely scapegoating the Centre. The latest state budget, he claimed, betrayed the elderly, undermined PMAY housing, ignored health insurance for the poor, and neglected water scarcity and rubber farmer distress.

He also highlighted institutional decay at KSRTC, MGNREGA fund irregularities, and shocking school safety lapses, after Education Minister V. Sivankutty admitted 75 per cent of government schools were unsafe. "Are they giving insurance for students for this?" Chandrasekhar asked pointedly.

(Inputs from IANS)