Cancel Budget Before Elections, Says Opposition. Not At All, Says BJP

With elections being called in five states today including Uttar Pradesh, whether the government can present its budget for the coming year on February 1 is being reviewed by the Election Commission. Dr Nasim Zaidi, who heads the powerful agency, said that it has been asked to disallow the government from sharing its budget before the elections are held. Most opposition parties and the ruling BJP's ally, the Shiv Sena, say the budget will give the government an unfair advantage in presenting populist schemes and reforms.