Fiscal deficit management and lack of initiatives for farmers and the middle class were the main planks of the Opposition’s attack. Congress spokesperson, S Jaipal Reddy said “the Budget has proved to be an anti-climax as it does not contain anything for the poor. There is nothing for farmers and the unemployed. It was all the more disappointing as people had expected rise in income tax exemption limit.”

Mr Reddy’s colleague and his party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Shivraj Patil said, “this is a Budget for the election and not for the people.” He didn’t specify where the contradiction lies between people and elections.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Prasad Yadav said the Budget had been drafted keeping the Lok Sabha elections in mind as the ruling coalition at the Centre was panic stricken that it might not return to power. “That is why it is doling out lollypops to woo voters,” Mr Yadav said.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Rashid Alvi, while describing the Budget as a poll gimmick said “it is aimed to mislead voters and feared that it would only increase the deficit in the next budget.”

Meanwhile, the Congress and Left affiliated labour unions have echoed the line of their political masters and termed the largesse for Central government employees as politically motivated. Centre for Indian Trade Unions, general secretary, M.K. Pandhe said, “the concessions are the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission and long over due and is an effort to please 70 lakh state government employees and 30 lakh Central government employees”.

Mr Pandhe said the government has announced sops for every section of the society, the attempt is to create vote banks in the working class which has already raised demand for setting up of Sixth Pay Commission.

According to Indian National Trade Union Congress, G. Sanjeeva Reddy, “the announcement is politically motivated before the Lok Sabha polls to garner support of the government employees.”

Mr Reddy maintained that the government has made no sincere effort to solve the genuine problems of the workers such as enhancement of income tax limit and extension of social security net and protection and generation of employment.

He said only the tea garden workers will be the beneficiaries of the initiative.