New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- With Assembly elections on the horizon, Kerala's Left-led government on Thursday unveiled a strongly welfare-oriented Budget for 2026-27, signalling a renewed push to consolidate social support through higher pensions, wage hikes for grassroots workers and expanded public programmes.

Presenting the sixth Budget of the second government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan in the State Legislative Assembly, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced an allocation of Rs.14,500 crore for social security pensions, alongside increases in honorariums and wages for several categories of frontline and education-sector workers.

A central feature of the Kerala Budget is a revision in monthly payments for key community workers. Balagopal...