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Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has said Kerala has slipped into a severe financial crisis, forcing large numbers of youths to migrate out of the State, and warned that if the present situation continues, Kerala could “turn into an old-age home within five years.”
Speaking to reporters in Kasaragod ahead of UDF’s Puthuyuga Yatra on Friday (February 6, 2026), which is set to begin from Kumbala, Mr. Satheesan launched a sharp attack on the State government, stating that Kerala had never witnessed such deep economic distress in the past. He alleged that the government was “surviving on massive borrowings”, the health sector was “on a ventilator” and agriculture was in “a state of collapse.”
He said the 30-day yatra would conclude in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7, with nearly 75% of the journey dedicated to discussion on “what the future of Kerala” should look like. “Whereever the present government has failed, the UDF has alternative plans,” he said, adding that the yatra would place a clear vision of “future Kerala” before the people.
“While maladministration and governance failures would be strongly criticised, the journey would be differed from conventional protest marches and would include dream-like declarations never seen before,” he said, adding that visual documents and exhibitions would also be part of the campaign.
Reiterating the UDF’s “commitment to secularism”, Mr. Satheesan said there would be no compromise on this and that “communalism would be firmly opposed.”
On Sabarimala gold row
He said the Sabarimala gold issue would be “a major topic of discussion”, saying that there were public concerns over “attempts to close the Sabarimala gold smuggling case without evidence.” He claimed that the investigation team had not even collected basic material evidence and warned that accused persons released on bail could “destroy” evidence, raising serious concerns about the probe.
Mr. Satheesan said that if UDF convenor Adoor Prakash was to be questioned, the Chief Minister should also be questioned, while calling for the resignation of the Devaswom Minister.
He alleged that the CPI(M) was “granting parole indiscriminately” to convicts in criminal cases, citing that a T.P. Chandrasekaran murder case convict had received parole for nearly 1,000 days. “Releasing political case convicts during the election period would pose a grave risk,” he said.
Accusing the CPI(M) of “sinking to the level of misappropriating martyrs’ funds”, he alleged “double standards in protecting former TDB president Padmakumar, while removing V. Kunhikrishnan.”
On Jamaat support
Mr. Satheesan said the UDF would accept support from Jaamat-e-Islami, noting that the organisation had clearly stated it did not support the idea of a theocratic state. He added that “when theocratic ideas were promoted earlier, they had sided with the CPI(M).”
He said “everyone knew who would be strengthened” if the Indian Union Muslim League weakened, and the UDF’s effort was to “hold everyone together” to prevent that scenario. He also said tha criticism by NSS and SNDP leaders were “personal in nature” and not directed against the Congress or the UDF, adding that if correction was needed, these could be made.
Expressing confidence regarding the upcoming Assembly polls, Mr. Satheesan said Kerala would “have a Congress Chief Minister in the next five years” and that “team UDF will return to power with over 100 seats.”
He clarified that seat-sharing talks within the UDF were yet to be completed and that no candidate had begun campaigning.
Stating that “a new era is beginning and the communist rule was coming to an end”, he said the Puthuyuga Yatra was “not aimed at the elites but at ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.”
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