BJP accuses Cong, CPI(M) of blocking Kerala's development

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 16 (PTI) BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday accused the Congress and the CPI(M) of pursuing "anti-development" and "anti-people" politics, claiming that both parties were preventing Kerala from benefiting from the central government's flagship development initiatives. In a Facebook post, Chandrasekhar referred to remarks made by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and claimed that the Congress and the CPI(M) were united in denying Keralites the benefits of central government projects. Vaishnaw, in March this year, alleged that the left parties and Congress are not allowing railway development works for the progress of Kerala, Chandrasekhar alleged that the state government's unwillingness to acquire land was delaying the Centre's proposal to reduce the travel time between Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram to four hours. Questioning the state government's stand, Chandrasekhar alleged that political interests had been given priority over the state's development. He further claimed that the same political approach had delayed or obstructed the implementation of schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme and other infrastructure development projects in Kerala. Stating that the existing political culture must change, Chandrasekhar said Kerala needed "real development" instead of "manufactured controversies". "What Kerala needs is the politics of performance. A Viksit Keralam is our goal," he said. PTI TBA TBA ADB