Kerala Assembly gears up for stormy Budget Session amid fierce LDF–UDF face-off

Thiruvananthapuram: The upcoming budget session of the Kerala Assembly, set to commence on Tuesday, is expected to witness heated exchanges as both the ruling LDF and the Opposition UDF gear up to confront each other over a series of politically volatile issues — from the Sabarimala gold disappearance case to the arrest of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.

The session, which will run for 32 days until March 26, marks the 16th sitting of the 15th Kerala Assembly. Proceedings will open with the Governor delivering the policy address.

With Assembly elections on the horizon, the Congress-led UDF is likely to leverage its strong showing in recent local body bypolls to mount pressure on the government. One of the major flashpoints is expected to be the arrest of senior CPM functionaries — including former MLA and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar — in connection with the Sabarimala gold loss. The UDF plans to accuse the state government of shielding the accused, pointing to the CPM’s silence even after Padmakumar’s imprisonment.

Key matters such as the state’s deepening fiscal crisis, unpaid welfare pensions, and deficiencies in national highway construction across various districts are also likely to dominate discussions.

The Opposition is additionally preparing to challenge Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent comments on Jamaat-e-Islami, alleging that the CPM is “adopting a soft Hindutva” stance in the post-Lok Sabha poll scenario. The interrogation of senior CPM leader and former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the Sabarimala gold loss inquiry, as well as his remarks about former TDB president P S Prasanth, are expected to add to the friction.

With the budget being introduced amid ongoing criticism of the state’s financial management, the UDF is preparing to stage sustained protests within and outside the Assembly, setting the stage for a confrontational session.

The LDF, meanwhile, is preparing a counteroffensive, spotlighting the arrest of expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in a sexual assault case. Despite the Congress asserting that Mamkootathil is no longer part of the party, the Left has insisted that the UDF cannot “dissociate itself from his actions” so easily.

The treasury benches are also expected to highlight criticism faced by Opposition Leader V D Satheesan from various community leaders, delays in delivering houses promised to Wayanad landslide survivors by the Congress, and the vigilance case against Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan involving alleged land irregularities.

Alongside these political clashes, the ruling front will showcase its welfare initiatives, recent infrastructure achievements, and what it describes as the Centre’s continued financial constraints imposed on Kerala.

As per Assembly officials, the state budget for 2026–27 will be presented, debated and passed during the sitting. Three days have been earmarked for the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address. The budget will be tabled on January 29, followed by general discussions from February 2 to 4. The House will break from February 6 to 22, during which subject committees will examine departmental fund requests. Detailed discussions and passage of demands for grants will take place between February 24 and March 19.

PTI