The viral “Po Mone” jibe, lifted from Mohanlal-starrer Narasimham, has escalated into a political flashpoint, sharpening exchanges between two INDIA bloc leaders and adding strain ahead of Kerala’s April 9 Assembly polls.

The row traces back to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks during a visit to Kochi, where he released the United Democratic Front (UDF) manifesto. Addressing party workers and reporters, Reddy invoked the popular film dialogue “Po Mone Vijaya” (Go away, Vijayan), framing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a political adversary.

Reddy had earlier described the current period under Vijayan as a “dark era”, while projecting a “golden era” under the UDF. He also said a political shift, similar to Telangana post-2023, was likely in Kerala, expressing confidence that voters would unseat the incumbent government.

In a separate remark, he alleged that both India and Kerala were being governed by the “Modi Brothers”, while also raising allegations of “corruption and misgovernance” in Kerala. He also exuded confidence that Kerala people would oust the Pinarayi Vijayan government from power.

Vijayan’s response and the ‘war of statistics’

Vijayan responded sharply on X and Facebook, calling Reddy’s remarks “entirely baseless” and accusing him of “preaching” instead of addressing Telangana’s own challenges.

“Telangana CM Shri Revanth Reddy's recent disparaging remarks about Kerala are entirely baseless. It is ironic that someone who runs bulldozers over the homes of the poor in his own state is trying to preach to Kerala about social progress. He has simply become a mouthpiece for those trying to sabotage our sustainable and inclusive development model,” Vijayan said.

Citing NITI Aayog data, he contested the allegations of corruption and governance failure. “Before alleging 'corruption and misgovernance' in Kerala, he should check official data. Has he not noticed that Kerala is the least corrupt state in India?” he said, adding that Kerala ranked first in the SDG Index (2023-24) with 79 points, while Telangana stood sixth.

He also compared poverty and literacy indicators, stating Kerala’s poverty rate was 0.55% against Telangana’s 5.88%, and literacy stood at 95.3% versus 76.9%. Vijayan said Kerala was on track to eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025.

On health metrics, he said Kerala’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) was 5, compared to a significantly higher rate in Telangana, and linked this to a stronger public health system.

He further questioned Telangana’s expenditure on political advertisements in Kerala and flagged what he termed “hypocrisy”, noting that a Telangana official team had visited Thiruvananthapuram on September 16, 2025, to study Kerala’s ‘Ente Bhoomi’ digital land records system.

Rejecting claims of a “nexus” with the Union government, Vijayan said, “It is the spineless Congress that acts as the BJP's true B-team,” and accused it of failing to oppose financial restrictions imposed on Kerala. He also criticised delays in salaries and pensions in Telangana, inviting Reddy to “learn the true lessons of governance and people's welfare”.

INDIA bloc friction surfaces

The exchange has underscored tensions within the INDIA bloc, where Congress and the Left are allies nationally but rivals in Kerala.

Leaders have engaged in a public contest over governance claims, with Reddy calling Kerala “a State in decline” and Vijayan countering with comparative data and allegations of higher poverty and corruption levels in Telangana.

CPI leaders have cautioned that such attacks weaken opposition unity, while BJP figures have described the situation as political opportunism, pointing to alliances in one state and rivalry in another.

Conflicting allegations have also emerged, with Reddy claiming a “secret understanding” between the BJP and the Left in Kerala, and Left leaders recalling his earlier reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “big brother”.

Polling in Kerala is scheduled for April 9, with counting on May 4. The current Assembly’s tenure ends on May 23.