Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday unveiled a set of five “guarantee” welfare schemes that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would implement if it returns to power in Kerala.

The announcements were made in Thiruvananthapuram while inaugurating the valedictory function of the statewide Puthuyuga Yatra, a political outreach march led by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.

The march, which lasted about a month and travelled through all districts of the state, was organised as part of the opposition front’s preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Five welfare guarantees announced

Gandhi outlined a package of social welfare proposals aimed at supporting women, students, families and small businesses.

Among the measures, he said all women in the state would be allowed to travel free on buses operated by KSRTC. College-going girl students would also receive a monthly assistance of ₹1,000.

The Congress leader further promised that welfare pensions would be raised to ₹3,000 per month.

Another proposal included launching a health insurance programme in the name of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, offering medical coverage of up to ₹25 lakh for every family.

Gandhi also said small businesses would be eligible for interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh to support entrepreneurship and economic growth.

In addition, he announced that a dedicated minister would be appointed to oversee the welfare and issues of senior citizens.

Criticism of Modi government over US trade deal

During his speech, Gandhi also criticised Narendra Modi over a recently signed trade agreement with the United States.

"PM has let the country down. He betrayed the country. I believe the Prime Minister betrayed the country by signing the US deal," Gandhi said.

He argued that the agreement would adversely affect ordinary citizens, particularly farmers and small business owners.

"No Prime Minister before him opened Indian agriculture to US agriculture," Gandhi said.

According to Gandhi, the deal could allow large American agricultural companies to compete with small-scale Indian farmers, which he warned could cause serious damage to the country’s farming sector.

He further alleged that India’s energy sector had been compromised and claimed that US President Donald Trump had secured access to Indian data through the agreement.

Remarks on Kerala politics

Gandhi also criticised the relationship between the Kerala government and the central leadership.

He alleged that the state government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was influenced by the prime minister, claiming that just as Modi was controlled by Trump, Vijayan was controlled by Modi.

During his speech, he also referred to Indian cricketer Sanju Samson, noting that the wicketkeeper-batsman who featured in the T20 World Cup quarter-final hails from Thiruvananthapuram.

Puthuyuga Yatra and UDF’s political roadmap

The Puthuyuga Yatra, which began 30 days earlier, travelled across Kerala as part of the UDF’s campaign to engage with voters and collect feedback ahead of the Assembly polls.

Several senior leaders from the Congress and the UDF alliance attended the concluding event, including Sachin Pilot and Deepa Dasmunshi.

Speaking at the gathering, Satheesan described the yatra as the most significant experience of his political career.

"Wherever the LDF government failed, the UDF will elevate the state," he said.

He said the march helped the alliance gather public opinion from across the state and would help shape policies aimed at Kerala’s development.

Satheesan also promised that a future UDF government would introduce a “neo-Kerala model” focused on governance reforms and improved public services.

"The Kerala government secretariat will be made the most efficient in the country," he said.

He added that reforms would be introduced in sectors such as healthcare, education and employment while also addressing issues faced by economically weaker sections.

Expressing confidence about the upcoming election, Satheesan said the alliance was poised for a decisive victory.

"UDF will come to power winning more than 100 seats," he said.

(With PTI inputs)