Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu to present Tamil Nadu Budget, fifth after DMK stormed to power in 2021

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will present the fifth Budget of the present DMK regime for 2025-26 on Friday in a charged-up political atmosphere.

This will be his second Budget presentation after he was made the Finance Minister in a Cabinet shuffle in May 2023. He had presented his maiden Budget in February last year.

Several crucial announcements were likely to be outlined in his speech, especially on the social sector on which the state government has been increasing the expenditure and other sectors, as Tamil Nadu would face the Assembly election in 2026.

The ruling DMK dispensation is eyeing the upcoming Assembly election on the language row and constituency delimitation exercise.

The opposition parties, especially the AIADMK and the BJP have been targeting the state government on the alleged deterioration of law and order and 'mounting debts' and they are likely to raise these issues during the session, the duration of which will be announced tomorrow.

On March 15, Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam would present the Agriculture Budget.

The debate on the Budget is likely to begin in the Assembly on March 17.

Ahead of the State Budget, the government released the Tamil 'Ru' symbol replacing the official Rupee symbol, with a tagline "Ellarukkum Ellam" (Everything for all).

Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai Corporation has arranged to screen the Budget presentation at about 100 locations in the city including the Chennai Central Railway Station, Koyambedu Bus Terminus, Marina Beach, Pondy Bazaar Road, and Thiruvanmiyur Beach.

The live telecast commences from 9.30 am. The Agriculture Budget will also be streamed on LED screens.