‘We oppose Union Budget before elections’

NASHIK: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said he opposed the govenment’s decision to present Union Budget on February 1.
Pawar said, “Government should not present budget before the elections to five states are over. We will soon meet the President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue.”
Several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the DMK and the JD (U), today met with Election Commission (EC) officials to demand the postponement of the Union Budget to after elections are over in the five states.
The Union budget is expected to be presented on February 1 and polls in five states are scheduled to start on February 4. Opposition parties fear the BJP will announce sops and other programs to sway voters towards them. This would be a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, they said.
An 11-member delegation of opposition party members met with EC officials on Thursday.