Budget 2023: Nirmala Sitharaman’s ‘middle-class bonanza Budget’ draws mixed reactions from political leaders

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the Narendra Modi 2.0 government's final complete Budget before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Following the adjournment of the Lok Sabha, or Lower House, of the Indian Parliament, where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her Budget 2023 speech, reactions from various political parties around the country poured in.

The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounced the Union Budget 2023-24 as "anti-people" and "completely opportunistic," alleging it was created with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind.

“The Budget they have made today if I would have been allowed to make the budget I would have taken only half an hour and produced a poor-friendly and public-friendly budget. This budget is anti-poor people and anti-people budget I condemn this budget and full of lies. This is only for elections. Do not fear. I challenge that BJP is not coming here. I have taken the responsibility of Birbhum. Firhaad will be with me,” Mamata Banerjee said.

Echoing the same opinion, AAP Chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal criticised the budget. He said, “Education Budget reduced from 2.64 to 2.5 per cent is unfortunate whereas health budget reduced from 2.2 to 1.98 per cent is harmful.” 

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “The Union Budget for 2023-24 is focused on growth and welfare with a priority to provide support to farmers, women, marginalised sections and the middle class.”

Union Minister Smriti Irani said, “I’d like to extend gratitude to PM Modi. I won’t look at the Budget minutely. Going by today’s pronouncements, I believe that in the Budget, respect for women increased. I also welcome the announcement of the National Digital Library for children & adolescents.”

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, however, slammed the Budget by comparing it with the last one. “Last year's Budget drew applause for allocation towards agriculture, health, education, MGNREGA & welfare of SCs. Today the reality is evident. Actual expenditure is substantially LOWER than budgeted. This is Modi’s OPUD strategy of headline management—Over Promise, Under Deliver.”

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that the tax cuts were a “welcome” move. “I am a believer in a low tax regime. So, any tax cuts are welcome because giving more money into the hands of the people is the best way to boost the economy,” the Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, while recognising that the Union Budget 2023-24 contained "some good things," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pointed out that there was no mention of the rural poor, employment, or inflation. Some "basic questions remained unanswered," he said.

“There are some good things in Union Budget 2023 but there was no mention of MNREGA, poor rural labour, employment and inflation,” Tharoor told news agency ANI. “Some fundamental questions remained to be answered.”

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, stated that the Budget will increase the education sector, improve skill development, and create more jobs in the country.

“Giving a boost to education, skill dev, entrepreneurship, R&D, digital infrastructure, green growth & job creation, #AmritKaalBudget draws a meticulous blueprint for India@100 and lays a solid foundation for transforming India into a technology-driven knowledge-based economy,” Pradhan tweeted.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the Union Budget for 2023-24 provided people with "nirasha" (despair) rather than "asha" (hope).

“The BJP is completing a decade of its budgets, but when it did not give anything to the public earlier, what will it give now?” Yadav asked.

Also Read: Budget 2023 LIVE: Want to make new tax regime more attractive, says Sitharaman on new tax slabs

Also Read: Budget 2023: Cigarettes to jewellery, here are the items set to get costlier