Keralam Opposition Leader refutes Chief Minister’s charges of delaying Vizhinjam port work

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Keralam Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has rejected Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s claim that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government delayed road connectivity to the Vizhinjam International Seaport, calling the allegation “baseless and ridiculous.” In a social media post on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), Mr. Vijayan said the remarks were part of a political exercise to mislead the public and take credit for the Vizhinjam project by concealing facts.

He said 100% of the work on the Vizhinjam port, which has begun commercial operations, was completed during the LDF government’s tenure. The United Democratic Front’s (UDF) claim that some significant work was completed within two-and-a-half months of assuming office was also not based on facts, he said.

Mr. Vijayan also recalled that when a mass protest against the construction of the port was held in 2022, the UDF had extended its full support to the agitation. Mr. Satheesan, who was then Leader of the Opposition, had visited the protest site and publicly stated that the port construction would not be allowed to proceed, he recalled.

He also alleged that the then Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president had viewed the UDF-backed anti-port agitation as a possible repeat of the old Liberation Struggle in Keralam.

The LDF government then stood firm against attempts to halt construction of Vizhinjam. It was therefore ironic that those who had opposed the project were now claiming credit for road connectivity, with around 99% of the work having been completed during the LDF tenure itself, he said.

He also said the land acquisition process for the NH-66–Vizhinjam Fort Road junction began with the issuance of Notification 4(1) in April 2022, followed by Notification 19(1) for road connectivity in February 2024. In 2024-25, ₹11 crore was allocated for land acquisition and funds were provided to Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd.

By the time final approval for road connectivity was received in January 2024, the LDF government had acquired 35.81 cents of the required 42 cents of land, Mr. Vijayan said. He also alleged that the National Highways Authority delayed acquisition of the remaining land and the necessary approvals, while the Centre delayed approval for the permanent cloverleaf interchange and approach road. Shashi Tharoor, MP, had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha because of the delay, he said.

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