In a bid to reach out to a community that accounts for nearly 18 percent of the state’s population, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 2026 Kerala manifesto has promised to grant micro-minority status to Christians by amending relevant laws. However, even as the alliance rebrands its politics under the tagline of "PoliticsOfPerformance, when compared to its 2021 manifesto, several welfare commitments have quietly been scaled back,
Centred on the vision of a "Vikasita Keralam (Developed Kerala)” the 2026 manifesto emphasises AI-powered governance, data-led administration and large-scale infrastructure. It promises the inclusion of an an AI-based citizen service portal, a blockchain land registry to curb corruption, a Kerala administrative modernisation programme and Kerala's first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), a promise made by several leaders of the BJP including Union minister Suresh Gopi but remains unfulfilled.
According to the manifesto, the promised micro-minority status will ensure equitable access to welfare schemes, scholarships and community development benefits. The recognition will also help integrate micro-minorities into Kerala's development agenda and safeguard them against social and political marginalisation.
The starkest contrast between the 2021 and 2026 manifestos lies in their welfare promises.
In 2021, the NDA promised to raise social security pensions to Rs 3,500 per month. The 2026 manifesto lowers it to Rs 3,000, and narrows the eligibility to senior citizens over 70, widows and women heads of poor households.
It also scaled back other welfare schemes. The 2021 manifesto promised six free LPG cylinders per year for families below the poverty line (BPL), while the 2026 version reduced this to two cylinders to be distributed during the festivals of Onam and Christmas.
Apart from this, the 2021 manifesto placed legislation against "Love Jihad" and the formation of special investigative teams to probe such cases as a cornerstone. The phrase is absent from the 2026 document. Similarly, a 2021 promise to ban "communal" Islamic banks finds no place in the new manifesto.
In 2021, the NDA had called the LDF's Silverline semi-high-speed rail project impractical and promised a third railway line instead. The 2026 manifesto now promises a green high-speed railway network connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, reducing travel time to three hours and fifteen minutes.
Other infrastructure promises in 2026 include completing all phases of the Kochi Metro, introducing metro services in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, developing a major industrial complex around the Vizhinjam Port and unlocking all five of Kerala's national waterways for tourism, transportation and logistics through Vande Bharat Water Metro Services.
This year’s manifesto also promises Bhakshya-Arogya Suraksha Cards for women in BPL households, with a monthly recharge of Rs 2,500 for groceries and medicines. It also proposes a doorstep healthcare programme through mobile hospital units, along with a 24/7 free ambulance service in every block panchayat.
The 2026 document also includes dedicated sections addressing immediate public concerns such as the stray dog menace and the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam, without compromising water security of Tamil Nadu. It also promises to protect Sabarimala rituals and pursue Devaswom reform, with greater stakes for devotees.