The United Democratic Front (UDF) government will build a shield around the people of Kerala by ensuring women’s safety and strengthening social and healthcare systems, said Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, at an election rally in Thrissur.
“We are headed for difficult times on account of the wars raging in Ukraine and Iran. If the wars continue, prices will rise significantly, and that is why we want to set up a protective layer for every Keralite,” he said. He accused both the LDF government in Kerala and Narendra Modi-led NDA government of arrogance. He drew attention to the LDF billboards that portrayed campaign slogans such as ‘who else’, as if “there is no one else to rule the State”, he said.
With the election just days away, Gandhi was addressing a packed audience in an open-air ground in Kunnamkulam, rallying voters behind UDF candidates across key constituencies in Thrissur. Gandhi said one in three youths in Kerala is unemployed, and blamed the LDF for the brain drain, and the degeneration of the health sector. The LDF has “pushed Kerala into a huge debt and to the number one position in drug abuse in the country”, Gandhi alleged.
“We will be a responsive and compassionate government,” he said to the roar and cheer of the audience waving giant Congress flags and wearing party hats. Assuring that the UDF will restore the State’s agriculture practice to its former glory, Gandhi said it will provide farmer-friendly governance.
He said the UDF will introduce a ₹25 lakh health cover for every family in the State, which will be named after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as a tribute to his significant contribution to the State’s development. “The UDF will also offer free bus rides for women in State transport buses, and ₹5 lakh funding for young entrepreneurs in the State,” added Gandhi.
Published on April 6, 2026