Budget 2024-25: FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s ‘snub’ puts BJP on back foot in election-bound Haryana

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, July 23

The Union Budget seems to have dampened the spirits of the state BJP leadership in the poll-bound state, while giving the Congress political ammunition to target the saffron party.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s “silence” on any big-ticket projects to Haryana, where the party is facing anti-incumbency and is locked in a tough battle with a resurgent Congress to wrest power in the October Assembly poll, has put BJP leaders on the back foot.

In an apparent bid to gain political mileage, state Finance Minister Jai Prakash Dalal, during the meeting of state Finance Ministers with Sitharaman in New Delhi last

month, came out with the state’s wishlist, seeking special grant assistance from the Centre for the implementation of various projects in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The projects included the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, a 122-km project from Palwal to Sonepat (revised budget estates of Rs 11,600 crore), 1,000-acre integrated multi-modal logistics hub at Narnaul, India International Horticulture Market at Ganaur (Sonepat) and the Delhi-Panipat fast rail corridor as part of the regional rapid transport system.

The grants of these “politically significant” projects, some of which pass through areas represented by Congress MLAs, could have given the BJP a head start in the Assembly elections, said BJP sources.

Stating that the party was “disappointed” at Sitharaman’s “silence” on Haryana in the crucial election year, a senior BJP functionary said perhaps the Central Government’s focus was more on BJP’s key allies Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu in this year’s Budget. “However, any major announcement for Haryana would have stood the party in good stead in the coming Assembly poll,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the “snub” to Haryana seems to have given political ammunition to the Opposition to target the BJP, with Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda claiming that the Budget had disappointed Haryana. “The Finance Minister failed to even mention Haryana in her Budget speech and there is nothing for the farmers, small traders, middle class and the poor in the Budget,” he stated.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, put up a brave face, terming the Budget a right step in the direction of realising the dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’. “The Budget will go a

long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the cross-section of society, including the poor, women, farmers and youth,” he claimed.

Dalal proposes, Sitharaman disposes

Haryana Finance Minister Jai Prakash Dalal, during a meeting of state Finance Ministers with Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi last month, had sought special grant assistance from the Centre for the implementation of various projects in the NCR, including the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway. However, his plea did not find favour with Sitharaman.

Step towards Viksit Bharat

The Budget is a step in the direction of realising the dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’. It will go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the cross-section of society, including the poor, women, farmers and youth. — Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister

Nothing for middle class, farmers

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman failed to even mention Haryana in her Budget speech. There is nothing for the farmers, small traders, middle class and poor people in the Budget. — Bhupinder Hooda, former chief minister