BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is busy preparing his government’s last budget. However, the budget to be presented on February 16, just a few weeks before the Assembly elections, will be a mere public relations exercise.Opposition parties, BJP and JD(S), have termed it as a pointless exercise and said the budget being presented just before elections lacks democratic sanctity.
With a few weeks of his term remaining, Siddu is set to use budget as a political tool to woo the electorate. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa and JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy have cried foul at Siddaramaiah’s sop laden budget and demanded him to present a vote on account.
Political analysts see it as a PR exercise by Siddaramaiah, who will use it as an opportunity to signify his government’s intent to take up various works but will not have the time to implement the budgetary promises. Unless he returns as the CM.
Since the elections are likely to be held during last week of April or May first week, the government will hardly have a few weeks to implement budget announcements. The government will not be able to take up any new work once the code of conduct comes into effect, which is from the time election dates are announced.“It is more of a public relations exercise on part of the government,’’ political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastri told The New Indian Express.
“The fact that this government would remain for a short period of time after that (presenting budget), implementation would be a huge question mark. Passing the budget is not as important as citizens feeling it at the ground level. I do not think there will be any opportunity for that to happen with this budget,’’ he added.
From January 18, Siddaramaiah is holding consultations with representatives of various organisations and senior officers from various departments to seek suggestions on his 13th budget. The pre-budget meetings would continue till February 4.“That is the problem with a pre-election budget. By the time it gets going, it gets frozen because of the code of conduct,’’ former Additional Chief Secretary K Jairaj, who has also worked with the World Bank, said.
The government will be keen on the budget before the election so that they can signify their intent of helping various sections like farmers, agricultural workers, labourers and others.
“If Congress comes to power, they may continue with the budget announcements. If BJP or JD(S) comes to power, they may alter many things,” economist and former Chairman, Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) R S Deshpande, said.
According to Deshpande, the budget is an official statement of the government and it is an essential exercise, which must go on. “After March 31, you cannot spend even a paise. It is necessary that the budget is presented as there are certain things that need to be taken up immediately,’’ he said.
Deshpande, however, said there has not been any empirical proof on budget impacting on how people vote. However, for politicians, the announcements itself will mean a lot.