MK Stalin
Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu
As TN gears for the Assembly elections, we expected at least this year that the state would be visible to the eyes of the Union BJP government and our voices would be heard by them. However, this year too, the BJP government has delivered only disappointment. Demand from various states, including TN, to increase the states' share of total tax revenue from 41 per cent to 50 per cent has been ignored once again. The announcement that devolution will remain at 41 per cent is disappointing.
What were Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s objections to the Budget?
Siddaramaiah
Chief Minister, Karnataka
Not only that, the entire south India has not been given anything in the Budget.
Karnataka has been given ‘Chombu’ (an empty small, round water container) in the Budget. Only two things have been majorly mentioned about Karnataka — the Bengaluru–Chennai and Hyderabad–Bengaluru high-speed rail corridors in five years. This is of no benefit to Karnataka. It is more beneficial to Telangana and Tamil Nadu. We had asked for Bengaluru–Mumbai, Bengaluru–Mangaluru, and Bengaluru–Pune high-speed rails. There is no mention about the state’s irrigation projects. A big injustice is happening to the states because of reduced allocations to the states in central grants.
How did West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee react?
Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister, West Bengal
This Budget is directionless, visionless, action-less and anti-people. There is nothing on offer for Bengal in the Budget. Education funds and subsidies have been slashed, along with social security subsidy and fertiliser subsidy. This is a garbage of lies… of Himalayan incompetence. The economy will be totally derailed. The Sensex went down by over 1,100 points, the Nifty 50 went below 25,000. You can clearly see the impact. For West Bengal, what have they given (in the Budget)? Nothing. They talk big, but offer nothing. The freight corridor was mentioned in my Railway Budget in 2009. I had mentioned Dankuni and Amritsar. There has been no spending on this for the last 15 years. And, we have already announced six economic corridors. What they said about the three corridors is a lie.
What concerns did Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raise?
Pinarayi Vijayan
Chief Minister, Kerala
The FM has deliberately overlooked the fact that Kerala is also part of India’s map. Long-standing demands of the state, including an AIIMS, seven high-speed corridors for railway development, and a special package for Vizhinjam port, were completely ignored. The rejection of the demand to increase Kerala’s share, which remains at 41 per cent, undermines federal principles.
How did Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu view the Budget?
N Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh
The Union Budget is well balanced and forward-looking. It reflects self-reliance and will consolidate our position in manufacturing. This would strengthen the ease of doing business. The Budget would play a great role in promoting and strengthening MSMEs. The Budget has given top priority to women, farmers and youth, and would contribute to their empowerment.
What was Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s assessment?
Bhupendra Patel
Chief Minister, Gujarat
The incentives announced for manufacturing industries will further boost Gujarat’s manufacturing sector. The dedicated freight corridor from Dankuni to Surat would provide faster logistics services for trade, industry and manufacturing activities linked to Gujarat. The state’s textile sector would gain significantly from the six schemes announced to promote textiles, and the proposal to set up three chemical parks and allocate Rs 10,000 crore for biopharma industries would benefit the state, which has a strong chemical and pharmaceutical base.
How did Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis respond?
Devendra Fadnavis
Chief Minister, Maharashtra
Through planned urbanisation, encouragement to industry and entrepreneurship, and robust measures for investment and employment generation, this Budget lays a solid foundation for sustainable growth. An investment of Rs 12 trillion has been earmarked for the infrastructure sector, along with substantial allocations for agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and irrigation. The Mumbai–Pune and Pune–Hyderabad high-speed corridors are expected to significantly enhance GDP growth. Each ‘Growth Hub’ will receive Rs 5,000 crore over a period of five years, benefiting the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune Metropolitan Region, and the Nagpur Metropolitan Growth Hub.
 "Budget 2026: Stalin to Mamata, CMs divided over priorities and allocations")
