Keralam is vexed with both LDF and UDF politics of misgovernance. It is ready to consider BJP’s politics of development for Vikasita Keralam

As is mandated by Constitution, Keralam, erstwhile Kerala, is in quinquennial election mode and its electorate has enthusiastically participated in election campaign as a precursor to voting day on 9 April, 2026. The state is known for its politically active electorate with polling percentage consistently above 70 percent since 1960. It is at this critical time that the opinion of the elector class solidifies based on what has been delivered and the vision promised by the political class for economic opportunities and ease of living including welfare.

The state is widely known for its high human development index and per capita income higher than the national average. Despite the desirable development outcomes, Keralam state, the God’s own country, has turned into a land without opportunities due to policy failures, appeasement politics, corruption and lack of intent and therefore the vision from successive governments in 70 years of its formation.

The most glaring and the most discussed policy failure is the fiscal policy. According to the latest CAG State Finances Audit Report, total liabilities surged by over 51 percent between FY20 and FY24 reflecting an unsustainable dependence on borrowing including off-budget borrowings. The borrowings would not have garnered as much attention had it been spent on the capital formation. According to the latest Fiscal Health Index 2026 report from NITI Aayog, Kerala is ranked 16th among 18 major states for the period 2014-15 to 2023-24. Fiscal Health Index is construced using 5 major sub-indices – Quality of Expenditure, Revenue Mobilisation, Fiscal Prudence, Debt Index, and Debt Sustainability. The state is the worst perfomer in 2023-24 for quality of expenditure.

The state not only failed on the fiscal policy front but it is also a laggard in agriculture, investment, infrastructure and industrialisation. Whether it is new sown area, net irrigated area, cropping intensity or yield of total food grains, the state has lagged the national growth rates over twenty years beginning 2004-05. The growth in fixed capital for the reference period 2004-05 to 2023-24 has also lagged the national growth rate. Similar is the conclusion on infrastructure front whether it is railway route, length of roads, state highways or national highways for different reference periods. Gross value added for industry for the state also lagged national growth for the period 2011-12 to 2024-25.

As a result of lack of vision and failure of economic policies including fiscal policy of successive governments since 2011-12, Keralam’s real GSDP growth rate lagged the national real GDP growth rate. Exports have recorded negative growth rate in seven years since 2017-18 while India registered a positive growth rate. The growth in credit to industry by scheduled commercial banks in 20 years since 2004-05 is higher nationally in comparison. Not only is the credit to industry lower than that extended to agriculture in the state in 2024-25, the ratio of the credit extended to industry to agriculture is the least among the major states.

Unemployment rate across urban and rural areas is higher than the national print since 2004-05. The state has registered the highest youth unemployment rate among major states at 18.2 percent in 2025 with male youth unemployment rate at 12.5 percent and the females at 29.8 percent. Similar situation emerges if disaggregated to urban and rural areas. Only one unicorn has emerged since 2014 and around 2.5 lakh youth have left the state seeking a better future highlighting that the state is no longer a place for economic opportunities for those aspiring and willing to contribute to development of state and thus to the nation.

In a stark contrast to what the state has witnessed in 70 years of its formation, BJP has laid out a visionary roadmap for the sustainable development of Keralam, going beyond short term fixes and thinking beyond the next election cycle. The roadmap will be complemented by clear outcomes, timelines and strict monitoring systems for translating vision into execution. The first and foremost focus area is ease of living that is premised on three dimensions – Good Governance, Quality of Life and Affordable Living and Human Security and Safety.

Extending good governance is rooted in the following – free corruption, AI powered transparent and efficient governance, responsive and citizen centric administration, equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunities. Quality of life and affordable living is aimed at human development through social sector including but not limited to doorstep healthcare, free education till class 12, industry linked higher education, free water and affordable uninterrupted energy for all. Finally, human security and safety focusses on drugs free state, crime rate reduction, women’s security and others.

Economic opportunities is the other focus area. Until now the states economy is dominated by services sector and is driven by remittances. Agriculture and industrial sectors have been neglected for decades. 90 percent of the state’s foodgrains, pulses, vegetables, eggs and meat and 65 percent of fruits are sourced from other states. With the initiatives – MSP for all crops that require support, digital procurement, cold storage expansion and converting plantation lands for multicrop agriculture – BJP plans to reduce dependency and improve farm incomes. Through Cooperatives and targeted fiscal measures, villages across the state will be transformed into Atmanirbhar Villages for economic growth, entrepreneurship and employment generation.

Infrastructure is the backbone whether it is for ease of living or generating economic opportunities. Fully equipped ambulances, development projects for water security, improving connectivity through road and rail expansion and Vizhinjam port development will receive thrust. Industrial sector will be revived through building infrastructure, ease of doing business including logistics and labour, thrust to MSMEs and Municipal corporations as economic engines for shipbuilding and defense. To provide further impetus to services sector, Information Technology, Healthcare and Medical Innovation and Tourism will be prioritised through policy focus. Skilling, Startups, SC’s, ST’s and women will also receive policy focus for foundational and inclusive development.

Keralam received mutiple times higher tax devolution and grants in aid from Modi Government in comparison to UPA. Similarly, many connectivity projects have been executed since 2014. It is only BJP’s visionary roadmap and politics of development combined with double engine sarkar that can pull the state from the clutches of LDF and UDF politics of misgovernance by transforming the state’s economy from vicious cycle into virtuous growth cycle. This transformation will be realised through shifting the structure of economy from consumption to investment, production and exports driven growth and from fiscal excess to fiscal discipline.

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