Opposition Wants Budget to be Presented After Elections, Govt Refuses to Budge

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday remained unrelenting in its attack on the Narendra Modi government over its plans to present the Union Budget on February 1, three days prior to the start of voting in assembly elections in five states.

The principal Opposition party said the budget is traditionally presented on February 28 since Independence but the Modi government wants to present it during the time of elections.

Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said it is a convention that when an assembly election is scheduled, the Centre presents a vote-on-account and presents a full-fledged budget later.

"Fearing defeat and leaving aside the good traditions of Parliament, Prime Minister Modi wants to present the budget in the poll atmosphere. The public knows it all and Prime Minister will not be successful in his plans," he said.

The Congress leader accused Modi of presenting a "mini-budget" two days ahead of the poll schedule announcement and making some lofty announcements in a bid to lure voters.

Another spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said the Congress and 15 other parties have also written to the President on the "ill-timed decision" of the Modi government to advance the date for budget presentation.

"Like the drowning man in the ocean, Prime Minister Modi made announcements three days before the election dates came out. As a result of his misgovernance, Modi will not receive the support of the people in these elections," he said.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has said the poll panel is examining the representation of opposition parties and will take a call on it soon.

On Wednesday, BJP ally and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, too, appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee not to allow presentation of Budget before the scheduled elections in five states, saying the Union government might use it to lure voters.

"By making attractive announcements in budget, government can grab votes indirectly," Thackeray said, addressing a statewide gathering of Sena workers here.

The Sena president asked his party MPs to meet the President and request him to postpone the budget beyond polls.

Reacting to the demand, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said presenting the budget is a "constitutional requirement".

Without naming anyone, Jaitley said: "This is the same party that protests against demonetisation; why are they bothered with the budget."

Jaitley said an interim budget was presented even before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and earlier too budgets had been presented ahead of elections.

Another senior BJP leader said presentation of the budget should not be linked to election cycle. "Union budget's timing and announcements cannot be subject to schedule of various elections. It has never been like this," PTI quoted the BJP leader as saying.