CPI(M)'s Brinda Karat asserts strong public support for LDF's decade-long governance ahead of Kerala elections. CM Pinarayi Vijayan highlights the success of the LIFE Mission housing scheme and other welfare measures, citing development.
'Strong, Positive Response' for LDF, Says Karat
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat asserted that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is receiving a strong and positive response from voters ahead of the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections, emphasising the coalition's decade-long governance record. "The election campaign for the LDF is going very positively because we find that there is a very strong response from the people. They believe in the last ten years. The LDF in Kerala has made Kerala safe and secure... LDF has followed a path of development which is people-centred. All the resources of Kerala have gone in for the people... I think people are appreciating it," Karat told ANI.
CM Vijayan Highlights LIFE Mission's Success
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan underscored the achievements of the government's flagship housing initiative, the LIFE (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) Mission, launched in 2016 to provide homes to the landless and homeless. Addressing a press conference in Thrissur, Vijayan said the scheme has transformed the lives of thousands despite facing political opposition and legal hurdles. "Many people in Kerala are landless and homeless. For them, owning their own home was a distant dream... This is why the government in 2016 formed the LIFE Mission," he said.
He noted that the project, which aimed to provide five lakh houses, continued in phases and gained momentum after the LDF returned to power in 2021, despite the United Democratic Front (UDF) opposing it and vowing to scrap the scheme.
Focus on Social Welfare and Central Support
Highlighting social welfare measures, Vijayan also pointed to steps taken to improve fishermen's security, including doubling insurance coverage from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and completing key fishing harbours across the state. He further stressed the need for greater Central support to tackle coastal erosion, calling it a critical issue for Kerala's long and vulnerable coastline.
Election Schedule
Kerala legislative assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. The tenure of the current assembly is set to conclude on May 23.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)