BJP Issues Whip To Lok Sabha MPs To Be Present For Tomorrow’s Budget Passage-OxBig News Network

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha MPs, directing them to be present in the House on Friday for the passage of the Union Budget 2025-26. 

“All BJP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that guillotining of various demands for Grants 2025-26 will be taken up for passing in the House on Friday. All members of BJP in Lok Sabha are, therefore, requested to be positively present in the House throughout the day and support the government’s stands,” the party stated in its letter. 

A guillotine is a parliamentary procedure used to fast-track the approval of a bill by curtailing further discussions. The government often employs this mechanism to ensure the timely passage of financial bills when faced with opposition delays. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented the Budget 2025-26 in Parliament on February 1. The previous Union Budget for 2024-25 provided significant relief to the salaried class, exempting income tax on a monthly income of up to Rs one lakh, aiming to boost household savings and consumption. It also prioritized four key sectors—agriculture, MSMEs, investment, and exports. 

As part of the tax relief measures, the Finance Minister announced that salaried individuals earning up to Rs 12.75 lakh annually would be exempt from income tax. The budget’s overarching goal is to pave a “futuristic path for transforming India into a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047,” with a focus on “Garib, Youth, Annadata, and Nari.” It also includes new initiatives across various sectors, including agriculture, MSMEs, investment, rural development, and employment generation. 

Sitharaman also noted the impact of indirect tax reforms, stating that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has significantly reduced over the years since its implementation. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the Union Budget 2025, calling it a “Force Multiplier” for India’s development. Describing it as a “budget of aspirations,” he said it would fulfill the dreams of 140 crore Indians, particularly by opening new opportunities for the youth. 

“This is the budget of the aspirations of 140 crore Indians, this is a budget that fulfills the dreams of every Indian,” PM Modi stated. 

However, the Opposition criticized the budget, alleging that it disproportionately favored Bihar, which is set to hold assembly elections later this year. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused the government of neglecting Andhra Pradesh, despite the state’s ruling TDP being a key ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. 

“Bihar appears to have got a bonanza of announcements. It is natural since elections are due there later in the year. But why has the other pillar of the NDA, namely Andhra Pradesh, been so cruelly ignored?” Ramesh posted on X. 

Among the Bihar-focused announcements in the budget, Sitharaman proposed the establishment of a Board for makhana (foxnuts), a widely consumed and produced food in the state. She also announced the construction of Greenfield airports in Bihar, alongside the expansion of Patna Airport and the development of a brownfield airport in Bihta. 

(With ANI inputs)