A ‘boycott row’ over the inauguration of two National Highway stretches in Kerala has laid bare the deep friction between the state’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the BJP-led Centre, escalating the “credit wars” just weeks ahead of the crucial Assembly elections. What may appear as a spat over invitations is, in fact, the latest flashpoint in a long-running confrontation over Centre-State relations, fiscal federalism, and who gets to claim the political benefits of development.
The Spark: A Snub and a Parallel Inauguration
The trouble began when Kerala’s Public Works Minister, Mohammed Riyas, was not invited to the March 11 inauguration ceremony of two key stretches of NH-66 in Kochi, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Miffed by the exclusion, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two other cabinet ministers also gave the event a miss.
In a pointed riposte, the CPI(M)-led LDF organized a parallel inauguration of the same highway stretches—Thalappady-Chengala and Vengalam-Ramanattukara—with Minister Riyas taking centre stage.
| Event | Organized By | Key Figures |
|---|---|---|
| Official Inauguration | Union Government | PM Narendra Modi, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar |
| Parallel Inauguration | LDF Government | Minister Mohammed Riyas |
A furious Riyas pointed out the irony: while the state’s own Public Works Minister was kept out, the Union government had invited the state president of the BJP. The CPI(M) asserted that without the LDF government’s efforts, NH development in Kerala would have remained a distant dream.
The Core Grievance: Kerala Paid for the Land
At the heart of the state government’s claim lies a significant financial contribution. According to the LDF, the NHAI had abandoned the project in 2014 due to land acquisition delays. The project was revived only after the first Vijayan government (2016) agreed to a precedent-setting step.
- The Deal: Kerala agreed to bear 25% of the land acquisition cost—the first state to do so.
- The Payment: The state paid ₹5,580.74 crore for this purpose, sourced through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) .
Minister Riyas recalled that Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari had previously praised the Vijayan government for speeding up land acquisition. Interestingly, Gadkari was also absent from the inauguration event.
The Deeper Issue: Fiscal Federalism and Borrowing Limits
Beyond the political posturing, the row has reignited a more fundamental conflict: Kerala’s objections to the Centre’s restrictions on its borrowing.
The Union government has cited off-budget borrowings by KIIFB and the Kerala Social Security Pension Ltd to limit the state’s borrowing capacity. Kerala has repeatedly urged the Centre to expand its borrowing space by an amount equivalent to its NH spending.
This is not an isolated incident. The “credit war” has played out before. For instance, the Centre’s insistence that houses built under Kerala’s LIFE Mission housing project display the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana logo had previously drawn sharp responses from the state government.
What It Means for the Elections
As Kerala moves into election mode, these “credit wars” are set to take centre stage. For the ruling LDF, claiming ownership of visible infrastructure projects is crucial to counter the BJP’s narrative of development. For the BJP, showcasing central projects is key to building a foothold in the state.
The editorial concludes with a crucial reminder: “But while governments come and go, all that matters, ultimately, is whether taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely.”
