Kerala Assembly polls: LDF’s manifesto vows to eradicate absolute poverty, hike welfare pensions to ₹3,000

LDF's Kerala manifesto vows to eradicate poverty, raise welfare pensions, and boost education and health initiatives for a new Kerala.

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala on Thursday (April 2, 2026) released its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, outlining a 60-point programme containing 950 proposals to create a ‘Nava Kerala’ (New Kerala), while seeking a mandate to continue the ongoing development works.

The highlights of the manifesto, unveiled by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kozhikode, include a promise to eradicate absolute poverty, launch of Life Mission 2.0 to make Kerala “a no-homeless State”, hike in welfare pension from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000, transformation of the State into a knowledge society in five years, assured job opportunities for educated youth through campus placements, a ‘Back to Campus’ scheme for skill enhancement, and interest-free loans for entrepreneurs.

As many as 5 lakh severely poor families will be identified and they will be lifted out of poverty. The initiatives aimed at women’s empowerment include a promise of 50% employment for women and job assurance for 2 million homemakers.

In the education sector, the manifesto promises to elevate higher education to global standards, address learning gaps in public education, and expand technical education initiatives. All bed-ridden patients will get special treatment and schemes will be launched for all senior citizens.

In the health sector, the LDF promises to implement a universal health coverage scheme and a limitless treatment benefits. At present, 42 lakh beneficiaries are getting treatment benefits up to ₹5 lakh a year under Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi.

Highlighting that the “denial” of an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as an example of the “discrimination” against Kerala, the LDF says it will set up a better medico-research hospital with the help of the people, “if that stand (of the Centre) is not corrected.”