Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29: Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal will present the State Budget for 2026–27 in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, marking the twelfth budget of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

This will be the sixth budget presented by Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal.

The budget comes just months ahead of the next Assembly elections, raising public and political expectations of welfare-oriented announcements. As the final budget of the current government, it is widely viewed as politically significant.

According to preliminary indications, the budget is expected to place strong emphasis on social welfare measures, including possible salary revisions, enhanced pension benefits, and increased allocations for welfare pension schemes.

The government is also likely to underline its commitment to safeguarding the interests of employees, pensioners, and economically weaker sections.

While detailed financial proposals and sector-wise allocations will become clear during the budget speech and subsequent discussions, the overall tone is expected to focus on public support measures and social security, in line with the government’s policy priorities ahead of the polls.

Further details on fiscal management, revenue projections, and developmental spending are expected to emerge as Assembly debates on the budget continue.