Leaders of all political parties that are part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala presented the LDF Manifesto for the 2026 Assembly Elections to Keralites on April 2, 2026. The testimony of the previous manifestos was that the LDF promises only what it can deliver and delivers what it promises. In that sense, the manifestos of the LDF were clear action plans for the comprehensive development of Kerala. This time around, the LDF has approached the people with a brilliant record of fulfilling most of the promises made to the people, when it appealed for their votes, both in 2016 and 2021.

A Decade of Overcoming

The last decade has been an extraordinary period in the history of modern Kerala. Apart from fulfilling the promises made to the people in the last two elections, the LDF government in Kerala also had to brave severe challenges, both natural and manmade. Kerala had to overcome natural challenges like back-to-back floods, monsoon disasters and landslides, and diseases like Nipah and the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of these were the manmade challenges like the reduction in successive Finance Commission (FC)’s devolution – from 3.87 per cent in the 10^th FC to 1.92 per cent in the 15^th FC – to the state, prevention of receiving contributions from foreign countries to rebuild the state subsequent to natural disasters, misinterpretation of the Constitution, specifically Article 293 – by factoring in off-budget borrowings of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and Kerala Social Security Pension Limited (KSSPL) –  to unilaterally reduce the borrowing limits of the state government and so on. Despite these challenges, Kerala emerged stronger over the last ten years.

According to the ‘Handbook of Statistics on Indian States’ published on December 11, 2025, by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Kerala’s economy has recorded remarkable growth. Per capita income has almost doubled from Rs. 1,66,246 in 2016 to Rs. 3,08,338 in 2024-25. The state’s GDP has more than doubled from Rs. 5.61 lakh crore to Rs. 12.48 lakh crore, Kerala’s own tax revenue has also more than doubled from Rs. 38,995 crore to Rs. 84,884 crore, and bank deposits have jumped from Rs. 36.61 lakh crore to Rs. 89.48 lakh crore, underlining the increasing financial strength of the state and confidence of Keralites in the LDF government’s initiatives. There has been a threefold increase in capital expenditure from Rs. 12,417 crore to Rs. 39,359 crore and projects worth around Rs. 1 lakh crore have been taken up to ensure infrastructure development. Kerala has achieved all this amidst the union government’s financial embargo which even resulted in the payment of grants and share of central schemes that are due to the state, being kept in abeyance, in an effort to arm twist the LDF government into implementing policies that are diametrically opposed to its own.

60-Point Programme, 950 Proposals

Building on its achievements in the last ten years, the LDF aims to completely transform Kerala into a knowledge society over the next five years. To make it a reality, the 2026 manifesto puts forward 950 proposals which have been summarised into a 60-point programme. It has promised the complete eradication of absolute poverty in Kerala. Based on the experience of eliminating extreme poverty, an action plan will be implemented to accurately identify about five lakh poor families and lift them out of absolute poverty. This will be a comprehensive intervention that covers income, housing, education, and healthcare. The LDF has also promised to ensure comprehensive protection of the elderly. A rights-based care system will be implemented for bedridden patients. Healthcare and community-based support will be ensured for the elderly. The concept of ‘healthy ageing’ will be realised. All welfare pensions are slated to be increased from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000 per month.

To secure the future of the younger generation, the LDF has promised that education in Kerala will guarantee employment. To realise this, campus placement will be ensured for all students who complete their studies in Kerala. The relationship between education and employment will be completely restructured. Students will be directly connected to the job sector through the ‘Connect to Work’ scholarships. Youth who have completed their studies will be provided with updated skill training through the ‘Back to Campus’ scheme. Kerala’s youth will be encouraged to start new ventures by providing interest-free loans. Incubations, hackathons, and innovation centers linked to colleges will be developed. The number of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) will be increased from 40 to 120, creating approximately 2 lakh high-quality job opportunities. Skill development and research will be further strengthened in the education sector along with improving quality. Higher education will be raised to international standards.

The participation of women in productive sectors is essential for the progress of the society and therefore, employment will be ensured to 50 per cent of the working age women, through a program which will achieve socio-economic change. Job networks will be developed under the leadership of Kudumbashree. The ‘Work Near Home’ system will be expanded to allow people to work close to home. Safe transportation will be ensured. After-school care facilities for children will be expanded. Service enterprises, palliative care, technology services, doorstep marketing, etc. will open new employment opportunities for women. The employment guarantee scheme will be further strengthened. If necessary, working days will be increased using state resources. Income in rural areas will be ensured.

Industrialisation will be given a new impetus. The share of the manufacturing sector has increased from 10.14 per cent in 2015-16 to 13 per cent in 2024-25. This will be increased to 16 per cent by 2031. Agriculture, fisheries and traditional industries will be protected and modernised. Industrial corridors, logistics hubs and clusters will be developed. Industrial development centered on the Vizhinjam Port will be further strengthened. Also, an investment of Rs. 2 lakh crore will be attracted over the next five years, paving the way for a big jump in the industrial sector. Roads, electricity, water, and digital connectivity will all be further strengthened. More growth will be ensured in the tourism, IT, and startup sectors. A balanced approach will be adopted between environmental protection and development. Disaster management systems will be further strengthened and actions to combat climate change will be intensified. Special interventions will be made to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Digital inclusion will be ensured through projects like K-FON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network). To realise the dream of a secure home for all, LIFE (Livelihood, Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) Mission 2.0 will be launched, thereby making Kerala the first state in the country that is free of homelessness. More focused development projects will be implemented for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the differently-abled. Equality will be ensured in all sectors of education, employment, housing, and social security. Irrigation development initiatives, marketing facilities, price stability measures, and rehabilitation efforts will all be further improved for the benefit of those engaged in agriculture. The public distribution system will also be further strengthened. Food security will be ensured. Strict measures will be taken to control price increases.

In the health sector, universal public health coverage will be implemented, and the treatment cost ceiling of the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Yojana will be waived and unlimited benefits will be provided to the beneficiaries. The public health sector will be further strengthened so as to ensure services for all people in the state. The entire range of healthcare services – from primary healthcare to specialised treatments – will be provided through the public health system. A massive popular campaign called ‘Jeevajalam Keralam’ will be conducted to ensure drinking water security for all.

Extensive Public Consultations

The LDF Manifesto 2026 was formulated through extensive public discussions. Direct consultations with various sections of the people, discussions held in each of the 14 districts during the three Kerala Development Jathas, debates at the 5^th International Kerala Studies Congress organised by the AKG Study and Research Center, the Development Conclave organised by the C Achutha Menon Foundation, Vision 2031 conferences organised by the Kerala State Planning Board, and documents prepared by the constituent members of the LDF have all contributed significantly in its preparation. The manifesto’s full version has been made available through a QR code. What has been proven in the last ten years is that development, social justice and accountable governance are possible. What lies ahead is the effort to bring them to perfection while also achieving higher growth and upholding the people’s trust.

The goal is to complete the task of transforming Kerala into a knowledge society over the next five years. The benefits of economic growth that will arise through this will be made available to all citizens of Kerala. LDF aims to build a society based on decentralised democracy – by further strengthening Local Self-Government institutions and elevating people’s planning to a new level – and solve the issues of unemployment and poverty in the state. LDF will continue to ensure a corruption-free and transparent governance system. It will further champion the rights of the states and struggle to strengthen them. The LDF promises to raise Kerala into a modern society that stands tall based on secularism, equality and progressive thinking.

The LDF is poised to take Kerala forward by overcoming the communal forces that are trying to destroy the state’s peaceful atmosphere, the reactionary politics of the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Indian National Congress (INC) that is trying to derail Kerala’s development and welfare, and the reactionary and vengeful policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led union government that is trying to stall Kerala’s forward march. The Left Democratic Front’s victory is essential to complete the construction of a New Kerala, and to strengthen this continuous journey of survival, welfare and development.