Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, on Sunday welcomed the Union Budget 2026, praising Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a tax-neutral budget and highlighting key provisions for Karnataka, including railways, sandalwood plantation and tourism.

Speaking to ANI, 'I congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is a very good budget. There are no extra taxes on anything. A good decision has been taken by the finance minister... For Karnataka, we are getting the railway program, sandalwood plantation, and tourism... I welcome this budget.'

BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy termed the Union Budget 2026 a '3C budget,' as it emphasised continuity, credibility and commitment.

'As mentioned, this is a 3C budget: continuity, credibility, and commitment... This is a very good budget, we can say... Rs 53.5 lakh crores is the budget. So, they have given weightage to the railways at the same time as the coconut growers, farmers, animal husbandry... There is no customs now,' Narayanaswamy told ANI.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a 'strong foundation' for India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, saying it would provide fresh energy and speed to the 'reform express' on which the country is riding.

Addressing the nation, PM Modi said, 'This Budget is a strong foundation for the flight to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. This Budget will provide fresh energy and speed to the 'reform express' on which India is riding today. The path-breaking reforms provide an open sky to the courageous, talented youth of India. Our effort has been to continuously strengthen skill, scale, and sustainability.'

PM Modi emphasised that citizens are the greatest asset and that the government has made unprecedented investments to enhance their capabilities. 'A country's greatest asset is its citizens. In recent years, our government has made unprecedented investments in enhancing the capabilities of our citizens,' he said.

Highlighting the fiscal and economic strategy, the Prime Minister added, 'This is one such unique budget which has a focus on bringing down fiscal deficit, on bringing inflation under control and with this, the budget also has the combination of high CapEx and high growth.'

Highlighting the need to strengthen infrastructure and several major initiatives, PM Modi further added that the construction of high-speed rail corridors and a special focus on the growth of tier 2 and tier 3 cities, would develop the states. (ANI)