Opposition parties meet EC seeking postponement of Union budget

New Delhi: Seeking postponement of the Union budget, opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and JD(U), approached the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday and urged to shift the presentation after the conclusion of polls in five states.

The polls are scheduled to begin on February 4 and the presentation of budget is likely on February 1. The opposition parties claim that the BJP will announce sops and other programs to influence the voters which would be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

An 11-member delegation of opposition party members approached the EC on Thursday to express their concern.

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"We want the Centre to present the budget after March 8 and get it passed before March 31, there will be plenty of time," said the TMC's Derek O'Brien. The elections in all five states will conclude on March 8.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "The presentation of budget amid the period of Model Code of Conduct is against the democracy. So, we have urged the EC to postpone it. Populist measures are likely to be taken in the Union budget which would not affect the motive of a fair election."

Several Opposition leaders have been claiming since yesterday that this is a deliberate attempt to influence the voters by the BJP.

"The BJP has clearly showed its intentions of attempting to misuse the budget presentation and try to lure the voters just before elections," said Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was not part of the delegation that met the EC officials today, is also opposing the presentation of Union budget before the state elections.

On Wednesday, AAP spokesman Ashutosh tweeted:

https://twitter.com/ashutosh83B/status/816545258502635520

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the opposition parties for politicising the government's constitutional duty.

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"The budget is a constitutional duty of the government and not related to any one state. The presentation of the budget is not a sudden decision rather it has been decided beforehand with prior information to the stake holders," said Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.