Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, categorically stated that the state government had not signed any agreement with GNA for electricity purchase, while alleging that attempts were made to pressure him into approving the deal by projecting a looming power crisis. Satheesan made the remarks in Thiruvananthapuram shortly after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Two Proposals, One Choice — But No Deal Signed

The Chief Minister said the government had received two separate proposals for power purchase — one involving electricity sourced from Himachal Pradesh and the other routed through GNA. After evaluating both, the GNA proposal was found to be more economical, he said.

However, Satheesan was emphatic that identifying GNA as the more favourable option did not amount to executing any agreement. 'Selecting GNA as the more favourable option did not mean that any agreement had been signed with the company,' he stressed, adding that he would not sign any deal without a thorough examination of all aspects.

Allegations of Pressure and Manufactured Urgency

Satheesan alleged that attempts were made to create a sense of urgency by projecting an imminent electricity shortage and demanding an immediate decision from him. The allegation is significant given that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had initially assessed that the state could face severe power cuts from 1 November. A subsequent review by a fresh team of officials reportedly revised that assessment, raising pointed questions about the original report's credibility and the urgency it was used to generate.

Political War of Words With Pinarayi Vijayan

The controversy has escalated into a sharp political confrontation between Satheesan and his predecessor, former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). Both sides have traded accusations over the state's power procurement decisions.

Satheesan questioned what the previous LDF government had done during its 10 years in power to address Kerala's electricity requirements, noting that the state currently meets only around 15 per cent of its electricity needs through domestic generation. He challenged the Opposition to specify which documents it wished to examine, asserting that all procedures were being followed correctly.

He also accused Vijayan of making contradictory statements and took a swipe at CPI-M state Secretary M.V. Govindan for joining the criticism without adequately understanding the matter. Responding to Vijayan's demand for a judicial probe into the power purchase deal, Satheesan said: 'Vijayan is being misled by someone on the power purchase issue.'

Long-Term Planning Under Scrutiny

Satheesan pointed to the absence of long-term planning for power generation and storage during the previous decade as a structural failure. With Kerala importing the bulk of its electricity, any procurement deal carries both fiscal and political weight — making the GNA episode a flashpoint in the broader debate over the state's energy self-sufficiency.

Special Assembly Session Announced

Separately, the Cabinet decided to recommend a special session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 30 November to 10 December to address pending legislative business. The announcement signals an active legislative agenda even as the power controversy continues to dominate political discourse in the state. How the GNA question is handled in that session remains to be seen.