Kerala Election 2026: What do UDF, LDF, and NDA promise in their manifestos?

Kerala is heading towards election to its Legislative Assembly, with the polls scheduled for April 9, 2026, and the results will be counted on May 4, 2026. 

The State has a total of 140 constituencies. Kerala, currently governed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), is poised for a tight contest against the United Democratic Front (UDF), while the National Democratic Alliance aims to strengthen its hold in the State.

This election will see 2.71 crore registered voters (including 1.31 crore male voters, 1.38 crore female voters and 277 transgender persons) and a total of 25,231 polling stations. The current term of the Kerala Legislative Assembly is set to conclude on May 23, 2026.

All three political fronts – the LDF, UDF, and NDA – have released their manifestos for the upcoming elections.

Here’s what they promise:

Welfare guarantees

All three political fronts have bet big on the promise of welfare pensions, with a focus on the elderly voting bloc. 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF has promised an “eradication of absolute poverty” and has placed this pitch at the centre of its political campaign. 

They have vowed to hike the social security pension in Kerala to ₹3,000 per month. This is presented as their continuing ‘Nava Kerala’ model, focussing on expanding the safety net for the ageing population in the State. 

The Congress-led UDF has integrated its pension promise into a broader ‘Indira Guarantees’ framework. It has promised to increase all welfare pensions to ₹3,000 per month. In a related move, the front has promised to fix a daily minimum wage for ASHA workers at ₹700. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA has also promised a welfare pension of ₹3,000 per month. Additionally, they have promised the issuance of ‘Bhakshya Arogya Suraksha’ cards to needy women for the buying of groceries and medicines. 

Healthcare

The LDF has promised a healthcare model that covers all citizens of Kerala regardless of their economic status. They have promised Universal Health Coverage with is described as “limitless” treatment benefits. They have also promised a “lifestyle disease-free Kerala”, focussing on preventive medicine.

It also aims to create a unified digital health record for all citizens of Kerala to streamline the history and tracking of medical procedures and treatments. 

The UDF has promised the Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme, which offers ₹25 lakh in coverage per household. Its manifesto also promises to open ‘Indira Canteens’ across the State to provide subsidised meals, linking nutrition to public health.

Also read | The social engineering behind Kerala’s electoral battle

The NDA alliance promises to open an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala to fast-track medical treatment in the State. They plan to develop Kozhikode as a medical hub, focussing on medical innovation and specialised treatment.

Women’s participation

The LDF vows to increase women’s workforce participation in Kerala to ensure 50% employment of women across various sectors. The manifesto promises to create 2 million jobs for homemakers, helping in making them become economically independent. 

The UDF promises ₹1,000 per month for all college-going girls in the State. The manifesto promises free travel for all women in all buses plied by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

The NDA promises two free LPG cylinders in a year for households – one for Onam and one for Christmas – hoping to boost support among women voters.

It has promised to provide houses for all landless families and 20,000 litres of free water per month to every household as a measure to ease the domestic burden on women.

Connectivity 

The LDF promises to implement metro rail projects in both Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. It plans to expand the Water Metro system, building on the model established in Kochi to integrate inland waterways into the public transport network

The completion of ongoing national highway (NH) projects is also an election promise made by the front. 

The UDF promises ‘Mission Samudra’, which is labelled as a flagship ‘dream project’ in which the State’s 600-km coastline will be integrated, boosting maritime connectivity. 

The NDA promises the construction of a high-speed rail network connecting the southern tip of Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur in the north. Its manifesto promises the development of the aviation sector in the State to boost connectivity with other parts of the country. 

Published – April 03, 2026 11:11 am IST