Union Budget Has Nothing for Bengal, Claims TMC's Abhishek

PTI, Kolkata, Feb 1, 2025 :  Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the Union Budget 2025-26 has "nothing" for West Bengal, alleging that the state continues to remain "deprived" under the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre. Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, who was talking to reporters in Delhi after the budget presentation in Parliament, said several announcements were made for Bihar as the assembly elections there are due later this year.

Bihar remained in focus in the presentation of the Union Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman making several announcements for the state, including setting up a Makhana Board, financial assistance for the western Kosi canal, and support for enhancing the capacity of IIT Patna. "The Union Budget has nothing for Bengal. As in the past during the BJP's reign, there has not been enough allocation for the state in this budget. Our (TMC) MPs have been vocal and have sought a rise in the allocation of funds for central projects. We have demanded new projects for West Bengal, but the state remains deprived," he said.

Accusing the 12 BJP MPs from West Bengal of "doing little to take up the state's cause," Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour MP, said, "They did nothing to help the state and its people economically." Asked about the income tax exemption proposed in the budget, Banerjee said, "I need to go through the contents of the budget before speaking on that."

Banerjee later said in a post on X: "The NDA government has once again laid bare its utter disregard for the people with a budget that reeks of political opportunism, not welfarism. This is not a people-centric budget—it is an election stunt designed to bankroll BJP's electoral machinery and appease its allies," he alleged.

"For West Bengal, this budget is nothing short of an economic betrayal. Not a single meaningful financial allocation has been made for the state. This is a deliberate financial blockade, a calculated move to stifle Bengal's growth and development. Despite BJP having 12 MPs from Bengal, their silence on this systemic deprivation speaks volumes about their complicity in this injustice," he alleged.

Banerjee added, "The message is loud and clear: the NDA government does not care about the people; it only cares about power. This 'Bangla-birodhi' (anti-Bengal) budget is yet another reminder that for the BJP, Bengal exists only as a political battleground, not as a state deserving of its rightful dues. The people of Bengal will not forget. The people of Bengal will not forgive," he added.

The Trinamool Congress, in its official X handle, said, "Centre's 'Bangla-birodhi' (anti-Bengal) stance has once again been exposed. It is not for the poor, not for balanced growth, and certainly not for the principles of federalism," the party said.

Countering the ruling party in West Bengal, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said, "People are conscious enough to see the salient features of this budget, including tax benefits for the middle class." The budget gave relief to the middle class with regard to tax incidence and rejigged slabs. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that annual income of up to ₹12 lakh will be exempt from I-T under the new income tax regime.