Kerala’s Opposition Leader V D Satheesan
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) said the policy address made by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the Assembly was a document filled with “half-truths and fake claims” of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

Addressing a press conference, he said the government’s “failures can be read in between the lines” of the policy document.

Mr. Satheesan said he agreed with the government’s views regarding “the omissions and the additions” made by the Governor to the policy address, as the Constitution stipulates that the Governor has to read the address approved by the Cabinet without any changes. However, regarding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s move to correct the Governor’s address, Mr. Satheesan said the Chief Minister went on to counter the Governor “only because elections are approaching”.

He said that the government had in the past too had run-ins with the Governor whenever it was on the defensive, only to arrive at an understanding with him later.

Mr. Satheesan said the State government has through the policy address “openly admitted” that it is mired in economic crisis.

“The State government has been claiming that it is supposed to get as much as ₹5,300 crore from the Centre. However, now we are hearing a different figure in the policy address,” he said.

He said the government’s claims of upholding secular values “ring hollow when Minister Saji Cherian, who made remarks with communal overtones, continues in the Cabinet.”

“The government’s claims regarding the various sectors are also contrary to the reality,” said Mr. Satheesan.

Published – January 20, 2026 03:24 pm IST