Keralam rail funding rose 10-fold under PM Modi: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the UPA of shortchanging Keralam on railway funds despite strong representation. He used the latest allocation figures to argue that the NDA is delivering faster rail development in the state.
Keralam BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday criticised the then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, saying the state received inadequate railway investment during its tenure despite having eight Union ministers. He said railway funding for the state had risen sharply under the Narendra Modi-led government.
In a post on X, Chandrasekhar said Keralam received Rs 372 crore for railway development in 2014 during the UPA rule, when the government was supported by the CPI(M). He said the allocation had gone up to Rs 3,795 crore in the 2026-27 financial year, even though the BJP has only one MP from the state.
Calling it a "10-fold increase", Chandrasekhar said railway projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crore were currently under way across the state. "Modiji does not just promise development, he delivers it," he said.
He also accused the Congress and the CPI(M) of continuing "vote-bank politics" and claimed that the BJP-led NDA government was delivering development while safeguarding the interests of all Malayalees.
His remarks came a day after Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the allocation for development of the rail network in Keralam had increased 10-fold, from Rs 372 crore in 2014 to Rs 3,795 crore in the 2026-27 financial year. The minister said the higher allocation showed that there was a clear roadmap for the development of the railway network in the state.
"We also discussed the development of the railway network in Keralam. Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has increased the allocation for Keralam 10 times to Rs 3,795 crores in FY26-27. This amount was just Rs 372 crores in 2014. I also discussed the matter with Hon'ble CM @vdsatheesan Ji," Vaishnaw had said in a post on X.