New Delhi: The Union Budget 2024-25 rained sops and schemes on two key NDA allies, Andhra Pradesh’s TDP and Bihar’s JD(U), but virtually ignored the claims of poll-bound states like Maharashtra and Haryana. Poll-bound Jharkhand got mentioned once in the Budget speech as a part of the holistic development project for eastern India. However, a slew of development projects were announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The support of the TDP and JD(U) is crucial for the Narendra Modi government after the ruling BJP failed to cross the halfway mark in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. The Opposition termed the Union Budget as a “kursi bachao budget” driven by political compulsions and claimed that it ignored the Opposition-ruled states in a bid to “appease” the BJP’s allies.For Bihar, the Modi government unveiled a Rs 26,000-crore package, including Rs 21,400 crores for power projects, the construction of new airports, medical colleges, sports infrastructure and development of Gaya as a industrial node on the Amritsar-Kolkata corridor, among other sops. For Andhra Pradesh, the Budget doled out Rs 15,000 crores in allocations and additional funding to develop its new capital Amaravati. The largesse for Bihar comes a day after the Centre rejected its demand for special category status citing an inter-ministerial group report prepared in 2012. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar hailed the budget. Mr Naidu asserted that the financial assistance will go a long way towards building Andhra Pradesh.Welcoming the Budget and the assistance to Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna that his party had proposed that if special status was not feasible for technical reasons, Bihar should receive special assistance from the Centre in another form. When asked whether the JD(U) was giving up its demand for special status to the state and was happy with the Budget, the CM evaded a direct reply and reacted with a categorical “Haan, bhai” (yes, of course).Mr Kumar’s party colleague, Union minister Lalan Singh, criticised the Opposition’s claim that the Budget’s measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were aimed at saving the government due to its dependence on regional parties from the states for survival. He said the Opposition has been left with no issues and claimed that if the Budget had no announcement for Bihar, then the same parties would have been lashing out at the state’s neglect.Another BJP ally from the state, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president and Union minister Chirag Paswan, said the Budget’s announcements for Bihar will help realise his vision of “Bihar first, Bihari first”. He rejected the Opposition’s criticism, saying the Budget was overall inclusive and focuses on every section of society.The TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister thanked the PM and the Union finance minister for the financial assistance to the southern state. In a post on X, Mr Naidu said: “On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister, @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble Union Finance Minister, @nsitharaman Ji, for recognising the needs of our state and focusing on a capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in AP in the Union Budget of FY 24-25. This support from the Centre will go a long way towards rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. I congratulate you on the presentation of this progressive and confidence-boosting Budget.”The Union Budget for FY25 unveiled big-ticket measures for Bihar, proposing a total outlay of over Rs 60,000 crores for various projects, including funding for three expressways, a power plant, heritage corridors and new airports and sports infrastructure. In the Budget, Ms Sitharaman announced the Centre’s support for development of three road connectivity projects — Patna-Purnea Expressway, Buxar-Bhagalpur Expressway, and Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Darbhanga spurs, and an additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar.
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