Watch: Nitish All Smiles In First Reaction After Bihar Bonanza, Naidu Hails 'Progressive Budget'

Amid calls of ‘sarkar bachao budget’ by the opposition, key NDA allies JD(U) and TDP on Tuesday (July 23) hailed the big-ticket measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget 2024-25. Chief minister Nitish Kumar said he is “happy with the aid” given to Bihar, while his Andhra counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu thanked the Centre for recognising the needs of his state.

Asked if he was happy with the Union Budget, which was presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitish Kumar said: “Yes,” adding, “I have continuously spoken for this (special status), I told them as well (NDA). I told them to give us either a special status or a special package… As a follow-up, they have announced aid for a lot of things… We were speaking of special status and a lot of people said the provision for special status has been done away with much earlier. So, instead of that, aid should be given for helping Bihar. They have now started it…”

Naidu, meanwhile, said the support from the central government will go a long way towards rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. “On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for recognising the needs of our state and focusing on a capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in AP (Andhra Pradesh) in the union budget of FY 24-25,” he said in a post on X. He further congratulated the finance minister for presenting a “progressive and confidence-boosting budget”.

Coalition politics was in full play as Sitharaman made multiple announcements for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, which are ruled by the key partners of the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In one of the first reactions by the TDP, Union minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said the budget has delivered on the expectations of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

“It’s not just relief, it’s the responsibility that we have as part of the NDA government to deliver on the assurances and expectations that the people of Andhra Pradesh have from us,” he told CNN-News18. In Parliament, too, the minister was spotted cheering and showing a thumbs-up sign as Sitharaman made the announcements for Andhra Pradesh.

“With the budget today we have done that. The main interest of the people is to rebuild the state; backward districts in the state have got special focus. The YSRCP government completely destroyed Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

Senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said those who were calling for the resignation of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar should now step down from their posts. “This budget is the first step before the realisation of special status for Bihar,” he said.

A day before, the Centre reiterated its stand that it will not grant special status to Bihar, as a case for it to be in this category cannot be made out on the basis of existing rules. The JD(U) had earlier passed a resolution demanding special status, which includes tax relief and higher central funding for the beneficiary states.

For Bihar, the finance minister proposed an outlay of Rs 26,000 crore for different road projects while outlining plans for new airports and sports infrastructure. The government will also provide Rs 11,500 crore to the state for flood mitigation, she said.

In a boost for Andhra Pradesh, she announced Rs 15,000 crore for the development of Amaravati as the state capital. She said the NDA government has “made concerted efforts to fulfil the commitments” in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. She added that “special financial support” will be facilitated by the Centre through multilateral agencies.

What is JD(U) saying?

Bihar’s parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, a key aide of Nitish Kumar, said the budget “meets our demand for special assistance, if grant of special status was not possible because of practical difficulties”. He expressed hope that the budgetary outlay of Rs 26,000 crore will speed up growth “in all sectors”.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union finance minister deserve commendation for understanding and addressing Bihar’s concerns in the budget,” Chaudhary said.

“We had been seeking special status for the state. We had also suggested that if practical difficulties came in the way, the state be given special help in some other form. The budget lives up to the expectation,” the JD (U) leader said.

He also lashed out at the opposition for creating a ruckus inside the House over the demand for special status “forgetting that the UPA, of which they were a part, had rejected our demand while it was ruling the Centre”. The JD(U) welcomed the host of Bihar-specific announcements in the budget, stressing that these development measures will be a big step in making the state atmanirbhar.

What is the TDP saying?

Using the hashtag, ‘APThanksModiJi’ on social media Andhra Pradesh minister and Chandrababu Naidu’s son Lokesh Nara said the people of the state are grateful after the allocation of Rs 15,000 crore. “Thanks to the central government, which has announced that it will provide full support for the completion of the projects of Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, and Polavaram. On behalf of the people of the state, we express our gratitude to the NDA government for committing to the reconstruction of Andhra Pradesh by allocating Rs 15,000 crore in the budget,” he said in a post on X.

Saying the budget announcement was a “new sunrise for Andhra Pradesh”, he added: “I am extremely delighted and grateful for the Union Finance Minister’s announcements today in the Budget. These will go a long way towards helping AP achieve its development and social objectives. It’s a matter of great pride for the people of Andhra Pradesh that our struggle has been recognised, and a special and holistic package has been provided covering all important areas like industrial growth, infrastructure, irrigation and HRD. I would like to make a special mention to the generous contribution made toward Amaravati and Polavaram. Today will be marked as a red letter day in the new state’s history. This is the first step towards our march together to building a state of our dreams.”

The TDP said “special allocations” were made to Andhra Pradesh in the budget after five years, citing “commitments” announced for the Polavaram Project, industrial corridors and others. “Rs 15,000 crore for reconstruction of Andhra Pradesh this fiscal, additional funds for Polavaram (Project) lifeline, funds for Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor this year and special funds for seven backward districts,” said the party in a post on X.

In her budget speech, however, Sitharaman did not specify the magnitude of funds or a timeline. She observed that the Centre is “fully committed” to financing and early completion of the Polavaram Project and termed it as the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh and its farmers.

(With PTI inputs)