As Cong cheers, Oppn camp grim

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and his party colleagues sat grim-faced. There were reasons for him to worry as the Congress not only addressed the farmers, but also wooed the middle-class with income-tax relief.

Since everybody had a broad idea of what was coming, the Opposition started the day on an awkward note. Shiv Sena membes Anant Geete and Chandrakant Khaire created a scene even before P Chidambaram started his speech. The duo were agitated over the Government’s failure to do anything for farmers who were committing suicide. Geete had earlier tried to interrupt the Presidential address.

When Chidambaram announced the loan waiver, TDP leader K Yerrannaidu exclaimed: “Why not all farmers?” He was shouted down by Congress members. Back in Andhra, the TDP has made farm loan waiver a key plank for next Assembly polls. Here Chidambaram was hijacking it right in front of his eyes. There were other stray and feeble attempts from Opposition benches to find holes in the package. Someone shouted for the drought-hit and someone else for the frost-hit. “Is this the concern the House is showing to farmers?,” Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked.

As in the case of the Railway Budget, the Union Budget set Kerala CPI(M) members apart from their West Bengal comrades. Kerala CPI(M) MPs greeted Chidamabaram’s announcement of income-tax exemption for the Coir Board. Their West Bengal counterparts did not find anything exciting. The Kerala contingent could be seen looking the other way when West Bengal communists had tried to stage a walkout during the presentation of the Railway Budget by Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Kerala pack was thrilled over the sanction of a massive coach factory for Palaghat besides the introduction of three new trains while West Bengal had been left high and dry.

At the end, BJP and Left leaders got busy trying to dig out points to counter the latest Congress offensive. The BJP found one—”communal budgeting”—to address its Hindutva constituency. As for the Congress, the party had begun. Even before Chidambaram’s speech got over, mediapersons had started getting SMS messages that farmers led by young MP Deepender Hooda had reached 10 Janpath to thank Sonia.