While the BJP
attempts to woo voters in the four poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu, West
Bengal, Kerala and Assam, announcing major infrastructure projects and welfare
schemes in the Union Budget, the opposition termed it an "election
manifesto" that ignored the rest of the country.
The BJP is fighting a high-voltage election battle in West Bengal to dislodge
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress government and is also aiming for a second
consecutive term in Assam. The BJP is also trying to form a government in Tamil
Nadu with alliance partner AIADMK and working hard to increase its numbers in
the Kerala Assembly where it has only one member.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed new highways projects of 3,500 kms
in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, 1,100 kms of highways in Kerala
at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore. In West Bengal, she proposed 675 kms of
highways works at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore and over 1,300 kms of highways in
Assam at Rs 34,000 crore.
Rajya Sabha member and Assam Congress chief, Ripun Bora tweeted, "So, the
BJP government has made parliament the place to launch election manifestos for
Assembly elections. This Budget is nothing more than an election manifesto full
of 'jumlas'!"
"Congratulations India, FM presents the election budget," Bora said.
BJP General Secretary and West Bengal in-charge, Kailash Vijayvargiya said that
this year's Budget is an attempt to find a self-reliant India, new
possibilities of employment and business. "When the whole world is
struggling with a deteriorating economy, the new Budget under the leadership of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought new hope," Vijayvargiya tweeted.
Congress Lok Sabha MP from Ernakulam in Kerala, Hibi Eden said that the
whole Budget exercise was turned into an "election drama" by
announcing major infra projects in poll-bound states while ignoring the rest of
the country.
"All the infrastructure projects are announced to reap political benefits
in Assembly polls in four states to be held in coming two or three months. Even
while announcing welfare schemes for poll-bound states, the BJP government has
failed to include tea workers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the scheme
announced for tea workers of West Bengal and Assam," said first-time MP
Eden. The Budget proposed Rs 1,000 crore for welfare scheme for tea workers of
Assam and West Bengal.
Budgetary announcements were made for Kochi Metro rail phase II and Chennai
Metro rail phase II. Eden alleged that funds for phase II of Kochi Metro
announced by UPA government were stalled and made part of Budget of 2021-22.
"People are expecting announcement of phase-III of Kochi Metro rail but
the BJP government announced budgetary provisions for phase-II," Eden
added.
Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien said that India's first paperless Budget is also a
100 per cent "visionless" Budget.
"Theme of the fake budget is 'Sell India!' Railways: sold, Airports: sold,
Ports: sold, Insurance: sold, PSUs: 23 sold! Common people ignored. Farmers
ignored. Rich get richer, nothing for the middle class, poor get poorer,"
O'Brien tweeted.
Referring to 675-km highway work in West Bengal, Brien further tweeted,
"What Bengal did yesterday, Centre only talks today, Budget '21 promise -
625 km roads in WB, WB government (2018) - new roads of 5,111 km, No one in India.
Plus 1,165 km roads in 2019."
Talking about promotion of seaweed farming, Sitharaman announced setting up of
a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu. DMK Lok Sabha MP from Namakkal in
Tamil Nadu, A.K.P Chinraj told the IANS that these Budget proposals are just an
announcement and in reality there is nothing on the ground to execute these
projects.
"Announcements are made with an eye on upcoming Assembly polls including
Tamil Nadu to grab power in these states. They will forget all the Budget proposals
once the Assembly polls get over," Chinraj added.