- Every calendar year heralds a new beginning for citizens and government authorities alike. As the year passes by, it’s a common phenomenon to witness people and authorities gearing up with new resolutions, focus, and action plans for the coming months. Indian citizens have welcomed the year 2023 with so much anticipation and are bound to eagerly look forward to better tidings. The new year also means the much-anticipated union budget which delineates what the finance minister envisages vis-à-vis proposals, schemes, concessions, and taxes. Since each of us will be affected in one or more ways, budget always evokes keen anticipation. Even the political parties will be keenly looking forward to seeing how best to capitalize on the budget proposals.
PC: Hans News Service
- The ruling dispensation at the Centre would wish to assure the citizens that it means business and will leave no stone unturned in proposing several policy measures having a direct or indirect bearing. After thorough scrutiny of the budget proposal, equally agile will be the opposition parties wishing to corner the union government by calling the bluff on fiscal matters. It is a known fact that the government of the day will come out with doles, sops, freebies, populist measures, and several such schemes which might otherwise not pass muster on sound fiscal prudence. In fact, the Prime Minister has gone on record voicing concerns about the freebie culture in recent times exhorting to separate welfare measures from unyielding economically suicidal freebies.
- Of course, the opposition parties were quickly off the block criticizing the PM for the current economic state of affairs where the inflationary trends have singed the common citizens no end, Mind you, 2023 also happens to be a year where nine states will face the assembly elections including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Northeastern states. The BJP will be facing a considerable challenge from Congress in the first three states mentioned. As indications suggest, Congress appears to be on a sound wicket in Karnataka what with the incumbent BJP government being unable to raise its game over the last few years. Indeed, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh too would see an interesting fight between the two parties.
PC: SOHIL SEHRAN
- Remember, already the Congress party has announced sops in Karnataka offering 200 units of free power to all households and Rs 2000 to every woman if the party gets elected. Did someone say it is fiscally untenable? Who cares. The BJP will follow suit as well. Since caste equations essay a crucial role in elections, parties have started wooing the SCs/STs/OBCs/MBCs with rallies and sops. Expect the same to get even shriller in the coming days. We may get to see populist announcements in the union budget as well. Why? Simply because, the daddy of all elections – the Lok Sabha election – is due in 2024. Expect the ruling BJP and other parties to switch gears to woo the electorate with attractive sops. Fiscal prudence is damned.
