Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (NationPress) The BJP president of Kerala, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, strongly criticized the LDF government on Saturday, accusing it of mismanaging the economy, lacking a clear vision, and failing to appropriately allocate borrowed funds for actual development. He asserted that only the NDA government model, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could rejuvenate Kerala's economy.

During a press conference, Chandrasekhar emphasized that borrowing money is not inherently negative; the real concern lies in how effectively those funds are utilized.

“In states governed by the BJP-led NDA, loans are utilized for productive infrastructure investments. In Kerala, the whereabouts of these funds remain unclear,” he stated.

While acknowledging that not all decisions made by the Left government were flawed, the BJP leader argued that their overall economic governance has been inadequate. “They promised to rectify everything. Instead, we see a mismanaged economy,” he claimed, indicating that the state lacks a coherent economic strategy.

Chandrasekhar critiqued the LDF government's much-publicized investment promotion strategy, labeling it as having “failed miserably” and called for a complete transformation based on the Centre’s approach of the last decade.

He highlighted that central funding to Kerala had surged by almost 450%, with a notable increase in tax allocations. “Rs 22 lakh crore has been given to the state, yet Kerala's total debt has escalated to Rs 4,88,910 crore in 2025-26,” he remarked.

According to him, nearly 92% of the state’s budget is now consumed by repaying loans and paying salaries, leaving minimal room for developmental expenditure. He connected this to Kerala’s alarming rates of unemployment and inflation, stating that the decade-long LDF leadership has not succeeded in revitalizing the economy.

The BJP leader alleged a “silent collusion” between the CPI(M) and Congress, accusing both parties of frequently blaming the Centre for the state’s shortcomings.

He critiqued the latest budget for betraying the elderly, undermining housing initiatives like PMAY, neglecting to implement health insurance for the impoverished, and overlooking critical issues such as water scarcity and rubber pricing.

Chandrasekhar also raised concerns regarding “institutional decay” within KSRTC, cited significant irregularities in MGNREGA funding, and questioned the state’s management of school safety after the Education Minister, V. Sivankutty, acknowledged in the Assembly that 75% of government schools are deemed unsafe.

“Are they providing insurance for students regarding this?” he asked.