JOIN USThe BJP’s political plans for election-bound states appear to be woven into the Modi government’s first full fledged Budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, with Bihar and West Bengal getting special assistance on the pattern of newly created Andhra Pradesh.
The budgetary announcements have, however, not found favour with the NDA
ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP). “Incentives are not sufficient. Even after devolution by end of 5th year, AP will be revenue deficit,” a visibly dejected Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said in his post-Budget remark.
The ruling party of AP is struggling due to funds crunch post carving out of revenue rich Telangana and has been knocking on the doors of Modi government to extract more funds.
Even Odisha is disappointed as the state’s ruling BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab told
Deccan Herald that they have not got anything from the budget.
“It gives an impression that Odisha does not exist for them since they possibly believe that there is scope for making political inroads in the state,” Mahtab commented.
“Special financial assistance to be given to Bihar and West Bengal on the lines of Andhra Pradesh”, Jaitley said in his Budget speech. The BJP stakes are high in both the states which are due to face Assembly elections later this year.
Jaitley also handed out to Bihar another super speciality government hospital on a par with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). An AIIMS is already functioning in the state ruled by Opposition JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, who seems to be softening his strong dislike for Modi.
The two states have also reaped benefits from the increased allocations under the new centre-state fiscal management regime.
The BJP-led NDA government has tried to reach out to its core voters belonging to the small business community by proposing to create Micro Units Development Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank with a corpus of Rs 20,000 crore to fund 5.77 crore small businesses mostly having individual proprietorship.
Encouraging MSMES
A suggestion for creating opportunities for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) was given by veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
Jammu and Kashmir, where the BJP will form a government on Sunday with assistance of the PDP, has been doubly benefited.
The Muslim dominated state has been showered with an AIIMS and an Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
Ministry officials said the social security announcement to tap a section that was not sucked into country’s growth story was partly influenced by the Aam Aadmi Party’s ability to catch aspirations of have-nots and neo middle class, which gave them unprecedented results in Delhi Assembly polls.