The Election Commission is weighing pros and cons before taking a decision on the Centre’s decision to advance the date of the Union Budget to February 1.
With the model code of conduct coming into operation following the announcement of election to five State Assemblies, various Opposition parties have approached the Election Commission against the Centre’s move.
They fear that the Centre may use the Budget to announce several sops which may violate the model code. “The Commission has received one representation sent by some political parties. This representation is with regards to presentation of the Budget. The Commission is examining this representation and in due course of time will take a call on this,” Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters after announcing the date for polls.
The Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Left parties have raised their concerns on presenting the Budget during the campaign to Assembly polls. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stood firm on the decision and said it is essential to be held on time.
BSP supremo Mayawati urged the panel to stop the Centre from presenting the Budget before the elections. “The EC should instruct the Central government not to present the general Budget on February 1 and just as in 2012, it be presented only after the completion of polling on March 8,” she said in a statement.
‘GDP numbers at stake’CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said advancing the Budget is a bad idea. He said the advance GDP estimates for the ongoing financial year were released in February, and meant actual data for only three quarters was considered.
“This is bound to present a wrong and misleading picture of India’s GDP growth rate which is bound to be revised downwards heavily later on. Not only will it hurt the credibility of the government, and India, consequently, but it will also make the people who are experiencing economic hardships, lose faith in such numbers being shown that appear hyped and evidently rosier than the truth,” he said.
Yechury said budget-making is a serious exercise which should be done based on maximum possible available data. “This will not be possible by advancing it to January, and is bound to lead to ‘looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies,” he said. He said the move is a short-term political move done with an eye on UP and Punjab elections so that the BJP government can announce enough sops while bypassing the model code of conduct.