New Delhi: All are not happy within the Sangh Parivar and the ruling NDA over the Union budget 2018-19. Sangh Parivar affiliate, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), termed the document “dissapointing” and announced to hold a nationwide demonstration on Friday. Similarly, key NDA ally, TDP, which is Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party, said it was “disappointed” with the budget as many “pressing state issues including Polavaram project funding and funding for capital Amaravati, were not addressed in the budget.
Speculation has been rife that TDP-BJP ties have strained and the former is thinking of splitting from the alliance. TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu will hold a meeting on Sunday with state leaders over the issue. BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay claimed that the government did not consult the workers’ unions and the budget is not labour friendly.
However, another Parivar affiliate, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) welcomed the budget for its “focus on the rural economy, employment and the welfare of poor.” SJM’s co-convenor Ashwini Mahajan said that the manch “has been demanding for long that the farmers be given MSP not less than cost plus 50 per cent, to make the agricultural activities remunerative for the farmers.
TDP Parliamentary Party leader and Minister of State (MoS), Science and Technology YS Chowdary said “We are disappointed with the Union Budget presented today...Many pressing state issues like Railway Zone, Polavaram project funding, Funding for capital Amaravati and other pending issues of AP are not addressed in the budget....President of Telugu Desam Party and Hon’ble chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu will hold a meeting in Amaravati on this Sunday to discuss these.”
However, another Parivar affiliate, Swadeshi Jagran Manch(SJM) welcomed the budget for its “focus on the rural economy, employment and the welfare of poor.” SJM’s co-convenor Ashwini Mahajan said that the manch “has been demanding for long that the farmers be given MSP not less than cost plus 50 per cent, to make the agricultural activities remunerative for the farmers. By announcing the government’s intent to offer the same to the farmers is a welcome step, which would help improving the economic condition of the farmers and also the food security of the nation. At the same time the announcement to make Kisan Credit Card available to people engaged in fishing, animal husbandry etc. would help generate non-farm activities in the rural areas, which is a welcome step.”
