Union Budget: Mayawati welcomes EC order

Mayawati said the Narendra Modi government has the responsibility to abide by the EC order honestly.

Lucknow, Jan 24: BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday welcomed Election Commission's order that no scheme related to five poll-bound states can be announced in the Union Budget and said the Centre should follow the directive honestly.

"The Centre should not play oversmart and hoodwink the EC order," she said in a release, a day after the poll panel said that the Finance Minister's speech should not refer to the central government's achievements in these states.

She said the Narendra Modi government has the responsibility to abide by the EC order honestly. Besides Uttar Pradesh, Assembly elections are being held in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.

Last night, Election Commission has given its nod to the Centre to present the Union Budget on February 1 ahead of the Assembly polls, but said no schemes related to these poll-bound states can be announced and the Finance Minister's speech should not refer to the government's achievements in these states.

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea seeking postponement of Union Budget presentation ahead of the Assembly elections in five states, saying there was no illustration that it would influence voters.

The opposition parties had written to the President and the Commission objecting to the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1 ahead of the Assembly elections and demanded that the government be asked to defer it.

PTI