Senior Communist Party of India leader Sitaram Yechury slammed the PM Narendra Modi-led government, calling today's interim budget an election 'statement'. "There was no economic survey before this budget. Their basis of the budget is questionable. This is purely an electoral Jumla," Mr Yechury told NDTV. This was the last Interim Budget of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the Lok Sabha elections due by May. With the Lok Sabha election just months away, the government kept the budget focussed on immediate relief such as easing income tax rules, favourable loan terms for small businesses, farm loan waiver and even direct cash transfers to small farmers.
