TMC, Congress and SP accuse Centre of bias, vague promises and ignoring key states
February 1, 2026: The Union Budget 2026 drew sharp criticism from Opposition leaders across parties, who accused the BJP-led Centre of political bias, lack of clarity and failing to address the needs of the poor. Leaders from West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh said the Budget offered broad announcements without concrete implementation details and reflected selective attention to certain regions.
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged a “step-motherly attitude” towards poll-bound West Bengal, claiming the Centre was withholding funds under key welfare schemes such as Awas Yojana and Gramin Sadak Yojana. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor echoed concerns over the lack of specifics, noting that while cities like Varanasi and Patna were mentioned, Kerala found no direct reference. He said major announcements, including an AIIMS for Ayurveda, lacked clarity on location and implementation.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav termed the Budget disconnected from ground realities, questioning how a developed India could be built without strong focus on education. Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said the true test would be whether the Budget matched global standards, while TMC MP Saugata Roy dismissed it as a repetition of old schemes that ignored states like West Bengal. As debate escalates, the Opposition continues to question Budget 2026 over regional equity, execution and its impact on ordinary citizens.