Congress to give 50% tickets to youth and women in Kerala polls, says LoP VD Satheesan
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The Congress will introduce a generational shift in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections by allotting 50 percent of its tickets to youth and women, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said.
He asserted that the Congress-led United Democratic Front is well placed to defeat the ruling Left Democratic Front.
Speaking to The Indian Express, VD Satheesan said the recent local body election results indicate a strong anti-incumbency wave against the LDF. He said the UDF won seven of the 14 district panchayats, compared to three in 2020, and now has higher numbers than the CPI(M). He added that the UDF is aiming to win 100 of the 140 Assembly seats in the 2026 polls.
Satheesan said the UDF had won all bypolls in the past four-and-a-half years with increased margins and significantly reduced the LDF’s margin in Chelakkara from 40,000 to 12,000. He said this pro-UDF trend would peak during the Assembly elections.
On leadership, Satheesan said the UDF follows collective leadership and does not announce a chief ministerial face before elections. The decision will be taken by the AICC after the polls. He said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, once the LDF’s strength, had now become its biggest liability.
Criticising the LDF government’s welfare record, Satheesan said it failed to honour its promise to raise welfare pensions from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,500, increasing it only to Rs 2,000 just before the local body polls. He said people saw through this move.
On development, he said the UDF opposed the K-rail project due to environmental concerns, not because it was against development. He accused the CPI(M) of hypocrisy, citing its past opposition to the Vizhinjam seaport.
Satheesan said the UDF gained an edge due to strong organisation, early preparations under “Mission 2025”, and a clear stand against divisive politics. He said the alliance received support from both majority and minority communities, marking its biggest local body poll victory in 30 years.
On the BJP, he said its vote share had declined in Kerala, and its win in Thiruvananthapuram was due to the LDF's failure. He also alleged an understanding between the CPI(M) and BJP, claiming central agencies had not pursued cases against the LDF seriously.