Disappointing budget.. A lesson for BJP in 2026 elections! Thol Thirumavalavan
Chennai: Describing the Union Budget presented today as one that continues to betray Tamil Nadu, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan has said that the people of Tamil Nadu will teach a lesson to the BJP alliance in the elections.
In a statement issued in this regard, he said:
> “The ‘Union Budget’ presented today by the Union Finance Minister, instead of reviving the country’s economy, will push it further into decline. Without even considering that this is an election period, the Union BJP government continues to consistently betray Tamil Nadu. On behalf of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, we strongly condemn this.
> There is not a single major project for Tamil Nadu. Not even a single announcement has been made for election purposes. In railway corridor development, ‘Chennai–Hyderabad’ and ‘Chennai–Bengaluru’ have been mentioned, but there is no railway project within Tamil Nadu itself.
> The recommendation of the 16th Finance Commission to continue tax revenue sharing with states at 41% in the Union Budget 2026 has caused great disappointment to state governments including Tamil Nadu. There is no relief at all in personal income tax. The value of the rupee has fallen to unprecedented levels. Economic inequality among the people has increased sharply over the past ten years.
> The Modi government has so far failed to enter into a trade agreement with the US and is incapable of confronting American tax imposition pressure. The Modi government has also diluted the 100-day employment scheme that was created to protect crores of rural poor. It was expected that this budget would include measures to address all these issues, but instead it has delivered a massive disappointment.
> Unemployment has increased drastically. Educated youth under the Modi government are wandering around as ‘gig’ workers without jobs matching their qualifications. The much-touted ‘Make in India’ scheme announced with great fanfare when the Modi government came to power has turned out to be a huge failure. It promised to raise the manufacturing sector’s share in GDP to 25% and create 100 million jobs.
> Even after ten years of implementation, the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP has not crossed 15–17%. Despite promising to create 2 crore jobs annually, the Modi government has not been able to create even 2 crore jobs in the organised sector in the last 12 years. There is not a single announcement in this budget to generate employment.
> The micro, small and medium enterprises sector, which has the potential to generate a large number of jobs, has been severely affected by the Modi government’s economic policies. As a result, about 70,000 MSME units have been shut down between 2021 and 2025. Workers dependent on the unorganised sector have also been pushed into severe distress. With existing labour protection laws having been dismantled by the Modi government, they are left with no protection at all.
> The sharp fall in the stock market immediately after the budget announcement itself shows how disappointing this budget is. This is not just a budget that betrays Tamil Nadu, but one that delivers a massive disappointment to people across the country. The people of Tamil Nadu will teach the BJP alliance a fitting lesson in the forthcoming elections!”
This is the full English translation of the statement.