An illustration of the Union Budget.
Credit: iStock photo
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present her ninth consecutive Budget on February 1.
The senior BJP leader, who has been holding the plum finance portfolio ever since the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retained power, has till date presented eight budgets.
The 66-year-old also holds the unique record for delivering the longest budget speech when she spoke for 2hrs and 42mins, while presenting the Union Budget for the 2020-21 financial year on February 1, 2020.
Now as Sitharaman is set to present her ninth budget, you might be wondering as to whether the current finance minister will set a new record in terms of presenting the most number of budgets. But the answer is an emphatic ‘no’. However, on February 1, she will be equaling the record of former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram, who presented nine budgets.
So, who is it?
That record goes to Morarji Desai, the first non-Congress Prime Minister independent India had produced. For the record, Desai has presented the Union Budget 10 times. Morarji held the finance portfolio under both Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s regimes. He also briefly held the portfolio when he himself had become the Prime Minister.
The other heavyweights and financial experts, who hold record in presenting most number of budgets include P Chidambaram (9), Pranab Mukherjee (8), Yashwant Sinha (8), Y B Chawan and C D Deshmukh (7 each) and Manmohan Singh (6).
So, come February 1, a little slice of history beckons Sitharaman.