Finance Minister Sitharaman to Counter Opposition’s ‘Two-States Budget’ Allegations

July 25, 2024July 25, 2024

3 min read

New Delhi, July 25, 2024 – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to strongly counter the Opposition’s charges of presenting a ‘two-states budget’ when she replies to the debate on the budget next week in both houses of Parliament. As key state elections approach, the BJP is determined to dismantle the Opposition’s narrative.

Countering the Allegations: Sources told News18 that the minister will detail how the Narendra Modi government has catered to all states, both in the vote-for-account this February and in the Union Budget, as well as through other projects. NDA allies have urged Sitharaman to highlight these points in her reply. “I have told the finance minister that she should come out with all the facts in her reply so that automatically all this speculation and wrong publicity being done by opposition parties and Congress stops,” NDA ally Praful Patel told News18.

Focus on Development: Government sources clarified that funds for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar were allocated to fulfill commitments since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and to address long-standing neglect in Bihar, particularly concerning annual Kosi river floods. “But that does not mean that other states have been ignored. Every state gets a pie from the capital expenditure of Rs 11 lakh crore announced in the budget as well as the interest-free loan to states for the next 50 years. The new houses to be built under PM Awas Yojana are for all states,” a senior minister told News18.

Opposition’s Strategy: The Opposition is capitalizing on this issue in poll-bound states, claiming that Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Jharkhand received nothing in the budget. AAP leader Raghav Chadha criticized the budget for neglecting Delhi and Punjab despite their electoral support for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Congress MP Deepender Hooda from Haryana echoed similar sentiments, warning that the state’s neglect would impact BJP’s electoral prospects.

Congress Tactics: To strengthen their argument, the Congress has strategically selected speakers like Kumari Selja from Haryana and Praniti Shinde from Maharashtra to highlight the regional imbalances in the budget. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman refuted the allegations, stating that the absence of specific mentions in the budget speech does not equate to neglect.

BJP’s Defense: Other BJP speakers have been instructed to counter the Opposition’s claims by pointing out the hypocrisy in the Congress’s stance. The BJP argues that while Congress previously criticized the lack of ‘special status’ for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, it now opposes the assistance provided in the budget.

For more updates on this developing story, visit Sarhind Times.