Kerala Opposition Criticizes LDF Budget

The Kerala government presented its 2026-27 budget.

The opposition parties, like the Congress and IUML, criticized the budget, saying it was full of false promises and lacked credibility.

They claimed the government failed to deliver on its promises over the past decade and turned the budget into a political document.

The finance minister, K N Balagopal, called for unity among communities and highlighted global issues like US tariffs and the incarceration of the Venezuelan president.

He also announced a project to record Kerala's religious and cultural history, with a budget of Rs 10 crore.

The opposition leader, V D Satheesan, pointed out that plan expenditure was only 38% in January 2026 and accused the government of not increasing the plan size over the past five years.

He also mentioned that the state's fiscal credibility had been lost and that the government had failed to fulfill its promise to raise social security pensions.

The opposition parties demanded a performance audit and a white paper on the state's finances.