Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Chief Minister campaigns for LDF candidates in Kozhikode

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday attended campaign events for Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates in Kozhikode district, stepping up his attacks against the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while seeking another term for his government to continue its development initiatives.

Mr. Vijayan sought votes for the LDF candidates in Beypore, Kunnamangalam, Kozhikode South, Kozhikode North, Vadakara, Kuttiyadi and Nadapuram at various venues.

The Chief Minister’s campaigning in the district began with the release of the LDF’s manifesto for the Assembly polls at the district office of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in the morning. Senior leaders of the CPI(M) and the LDF accompanied him.

The manifesto focusses on 60 programmes containing 950 proposals, including eradication of absolute poverty, hiking welfare pension from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 and a universal health coverage policy. Thereafter, addressing a press conference, he supported the concerns of the minority communities over the amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. Mr. Vijayan said that the fears of the minorities were not misplaced as the Act was being amended by the BJP, the political arm of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, for whom “Muslims and Christians are internal enemies.”

In Beypore, he sought votes for Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, who is seeking a second term from there. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was one among the speakers at the event. In Kunnamangalam, Mr. Vijayan attended the campaign event of incumbent MLA P.T.A. Raheem, who is the LDF candidate there.

At the public event held at the Kozhikode beach in the evening, the Chief Minister highlighted the development works taken up by his governments in the past 10 years amid various challenges. Mr. Vijayan also criticised the Congress-led UDF for not cooperating with the government in its fight against the BJP-led government at the Centre. The final campaign event for the day was held at Purameri.