Overview

• Venugopal says he aimed to expose government delays and significant arrears in pension payments instead of branding welfare pensions as electoral inducements.
• CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan labeled the original allegation baseless and demanded a formal apology from Venugopal and the Congress.
• Since 2016, the Left government has increased monthly pensions from ₹600 to ₹1,600 for about 62 lakh beneficiaries and cleared an 18-month backlog of dues.
• Finance Minister K N Balagopal accused the Congress of underestimating public intelligence by portraying routine welfare payments as vote-buying tactics.
• The controversy over pension welfare remains a focal point of campaigning in the ongoing Nilambur by-poll, with both parties trading accusations.