Mon Feb 24 20:14:45 UTC 2025: ## Kerala’s Economic Success Claimed Amidst Political Wrangling

**KOCHI, Kerala – February 25, 2025** – The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala is celebrating the perceived success of the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS), held last week. The summit, aimed at attracting trade and investment, saw a rare display of political unity, with leaders from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the LDF sharing a platform.

However, the apparent harmony masks deep political divisions. With local body elections this year and Assembly elections in 2026 looming, the event has become a battleground for competing narratives about Kerala’s economic progress.

The LDF touts “stupendous” growth in the startup sector and “dynamic” industrial development, claiming the creation of 3 lakh industrial units since 2021 and a ₹30,000 crore investment influx. They point to Kerala’s purported top ranking in “ease of doing business” and cite praise from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The UDF strongly contests these claims. They accuse the LDF of inflating figures by including small businesses as industrial units, and question the validity of the “ease of doing business” ranking. They highlight the lack of reflection of claimed investment in national economic surveys, Kerala’s relatively low IT export earnings compared to neighboring states, and instances of “investor suicide,” painting a grim picture of entrepreneurial prospects under the LDF. The Congress mouthpiece, Veekshanam, even went so far as to call celebrating Kerala’s industrial growth under the LDF “giving the peace prize to an executioner.”

Both the UDF and the BJP-led NDA oppose the LDF’s flagship Silverline rail project and the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), accusing it of excessive borrowing and potentially pushing the state into debt.

While the presence of opposition leaders at the IKGS might seem significant, the long-term implications and whether this cross-party cooperation will continue remain uncertain, especially if the LDF finds itself in opposition after the upcoming elections. The differing narratives surrounding Kerala’s economic trajectory promise a heated political debate in the months and years to come.

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