Union Budget was prepared eyeing 2024 Lok Sabha elections: CM Mamata Banerjee

Slamming the Budget, Banerjee said the changes in the income tax slabs will not help anyone. “This Budget does not address India’s unemployment issue,” news agency PTI quoted her as saying.

Political leaders across party lines welcomed the recent tax rebates announced in the Union Budget 2023-24, but some Opposition leaders criticised the Centre for failing to adequately address the issues of unemployment and inflation in the country.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described Budget 2023-24 as “sarvajan hitai” (for everybody’s welfare), stating that from agriculture to infrastructure to healthcare to education, the budget has covered all the requirements while ensuring growth through enhanced allocations. “The income tax exemptions and restructuring will provide a huge relief to the middle- and lower-middle classes and help them accomplish their aspirations,” Fadnavis said, adding, “The budget has taken into consideration the concerns and growth in each field.”

Reacting to the Union Budget, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, “The seven priorities of the government towards the country and the society mentioned by the finance minister in the budget will benefit every section. This budget presented in ‘Amrit Kaal’ will prove to be a milestone in the making of modern India.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi had been meted out “step-motherly” treatment in the Union Budget “yet again”. “The people of Delhi paid Rs 1.75 lakh crore in income tax last year. Out of that, only Rs 325 crore has been given to Delhi for development work. This is completely unjustified,” Kejriwal added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Union Budget 2023 was Narendra Modi government’s strategy of “over promise, under deliver”. “Last year’s Budget drew applause for allocation towards agriculture, health, education, MGNREGA & welfare of SCs. Today the reality is evident. Actual expenditure is substantially LOWER than budgeted. This is Modi’s OPUD strategy of headline management — Over Promise, Under Deliver,” he tweeted.

However, noting that there were “some good things” in the Union Budget 2023-24, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor flagged that there was no mention of the rural poor, employment and inflation. He said that some “fundamental questions remained to be answered”. “There are some good things in Union Budget 2023 but there was no mention of MNREGA, poor rural labour, employment and inflation,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

Union Minister Smriti Irani called it a “middle class bonanza budget”, but added that there was something in it for everyone. “This is a middle-class bonanza budget but PM has spoken about inclusive growth. This has been an inclusive budget. There was something for SC, ST, OBC, women and elderly,” she said.

There has been little change in the Union Budget over the last 8-9 years, according to former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. “Taxes increased, money is not being spent on welfare schemes and subsidies,” she pointed out. ” Taxes are being collected for some crony capitalists and big businessmen.”

Congress leader K Suresh called it a “pro-corporate” budget that was only in the interest of  “Adani, Ambani and Gujarat”. “This is a pro-corporate budget. All interests of Adani are fulfilled in this budget, but the common man has been ignored,” he told ANI.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said it would be better if the budget is for the country rather than for the party. In a tweet, she said, whenever the Centre talks about the figures of beneficiaries of schemes, it must remember that India is a vast country of about 130 crore poor, labourers, deprived, farmers who are yearning for their Amrit Kaal.

“This year’s budget is also not much different. No government points out the shortcomings of last year and makes new promises again, while in reality the lives of more than 100 crore people are at stake as it was before. People live by hope, but why false hope?,” she said.

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