New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the opposition criticizes them (the government) when they announce schemes or projects for the poll-bound states in union budgets, saying just because they are going for elections, the government gives them special projects, and vice versa if we don’t name them. However, the Union Minister said that she has announced projects for both — the states that are going for elections and also those that are not.
In an exclusive conversation with Times Now Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar, when asked that last year, ahead of the Bihar elections, everybody in the opposition criticized her, saying it was a budget for Bihar and not for the Centre, but this year also four states are going to polls and the opposition criticism is the opposite, that she (Nirmala Sitharaman) has not said anything for poll-bound states.
Responding to the opposition’s charge, Nirmala Sitharaman said that they scold you if you do and also if you don’t.
Answering it further, the Union Minister said, “Kerala and Tamil Nadu getting the corridor for rare earth, poll-bound states have given them the corridors. High-speed rail goes to Chennai, given to them. Every coconut plant will be given a tree which is aged, will get a sapling, and coconut promotion will be a big deal.”
“Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, of course, are not in polls, but are two poll-bound states. The other poll-bound state, Bengal, is getting the east-west corridor starting from Durgapur, I think, or Dankuni,” the Union Minister said.
Speaking further, Sitharaman said that she has taken the names of all the states. “I’ve taken the names of the northeast states. There’s no election there.”
When asked if Assam will go to polls, Sitharaman said she has not taken Assam’s name, in fact. “…But I’ve taken these states’ names and I’ve also taken non-election-bound states.”
“So this particular budget, everybody’s name is there. And despite that, some honourable member said, my state’s name is not there. I asked this question even the last time. If a state’s name is not in the budget, read-out, does it mean that no money goes to that state? In a 90-minute speech, how much more can I add,” the Union Minister concluded her response.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Full Interview
Nirmala Sitharaman Presented Her 9th Consecutive Budget on February 1
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a Rs 53.47 lakh crore Budget for 2026-27 on February 1, up 7.7 per cent from the current financial year ending March 31.
As per the Revised Estimate, the size of the Budget for the current fiscal is Rs 49.64 lakh crore, lower from Rs 50.65 lakh crore estimated in February 2025. The Budget for fiscal 2024-25 was at Rs 46.52 lakh crore.
The government estimates its total expenditure at Rs 53.47 lakh crore in the next fiscal.
In 2026-27, the non-debt receipts and the total expenditure are estimated as Rs 36.5 lakh crore and Rs 53.5 lakh crore, respectively. The Centre’s net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 28.7 lakh crore.
