Published Mar 07, 2026 | 7:56 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 07, 2026 | 7:56 PM
Rahul Gandhi said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is being controlled by Prime Minister Modi.
Synopsis: The proposals aimed to ease the financial burden on households while empowering women, supporting students, encouraging youth entrepreneurship, and strengthening care for senior citizens.
The Congress played the guarantee card in poll-bound Kerala on Saturday, 7 March, with senior party leader Rahul Gandhi unveiling five election promises, focusing on women, youth, and social welfare.
Inaugurating the conclusion of Opposition Leader VD Satheesan’s Puthuyuga Yatra in Thiruvananthapuram, Gandhi promised free bus travel for women on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, a move aimed at improving mobility and easing household expenses.
He also pledged a monthly stipend of ₹1,000 for female college students and said that welfare pensions would be increased to ₹3,000.
In the healthcare sector, Gandhi said a Rajasthan-model health insurance scheme would be introduced in the state.
The scheme will be named after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and will provide health insurance coverage of up to ₹25 lakh for every household.
Targeting youth employment and entrepreneurship, he announced that young people would be offered interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh to start businesses.
Gandhi also said that a dedicated department for senior citizen welfare would be created to strengthen support systems for the elderly in the state.
The senior Congress leader alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under the influence of US President Donald Trump, claiming that the Prime Minister had compromised India’s interests due to concerns over the still-unreleased Epstein files.
He alleged that Modi was “being controlled by Trump” and had betrayed the country by signing trade arrangements with the United States and opening India’s agricultural sector to foreign interests.
He further alleged that the Prime Minister was also “controlling” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and accused the BJP and CPI(M) of working together in the state to defeat the UDF.
“In Kerala it is not CPI(M)–BJP but CJP,” Gandhi said.
A KPCC office-bearer said the guarantees announced reflected the UDF’s commitment to ensuring stronger social security and economic stability for families across Kerala.
The proposals aimed to ease the financial burden on households while empowering women, supporting students, encouraging youth entrepreneurship, and strengthening care for senior citizens.
By combining welfare support with opportunities for education, employment and healthcare, the initiatives seek to build a more inclusive development model that improves the quality of life of ordinary people in the state, the leader added.
The UDF will release its detailed election manifesto in the coming days.
