It's a copycat, 'kursi bachao' budget: Congress

The Congress has called the budget a poor "copycat" of many of the Opposition party's election manifesto promises. Citing the budgetary attempt to please the key BJP allies--TDP and JDU--with a slew of announcements for Andhra and Bihar, the Congress also dubbed it as a "kursi bachao" (save the seat of power) budget but claimed that many of these promises would be limited to paper and chided Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar for not getting their push for special category status for their states.

"The Modi government's 'copycat budget' could not even copy the Congress' Nyay Patra properly! The Modi government's budget is distributing half-hearted 'rewadis' (freebies) to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives. This is not a budget for the "progress of the country", it is a "save Modi government" budget!" said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi quipped: "Kursi Bachao" Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets".


Former finance minister P Chidambaram said he wished the budget copied more from the Congress manifesto: "I am happy that the Hon'ble Finance Minister had an opportunity to read the Congress manifesto after the LS 2024 elections. She has virtually adopted the ideas underlying our proposals on Employment-Linked Incentive scheme (ELIS), the Apprenticeship Scheme with an allowance to the apprentice, and on the abolition of the Angel Tax. I wish she had adopted many more ideas from the Congress manifesto".