"Will present full budget once new govt is formed," says PM Modi

NEW DELHI: While expressing confidence in his third straight victory in the coming Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the full budget would be presented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government when it is formed after the Lok Sabha polls. The Lok Sabha polls are likely to held in April-May this year. The last session before Lok Sabha polls is to provide a total of eight sittings spread over a period of 10 days.

In his customary interaction with the media ahead of the Budget Session outside the Parliament building, the Prime Minister started and concluded his address with the salutation 'Ram Ram', emphasizing the recently concluded 'Pran Pratishtha ' ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's temple.

"Ram Ram to all of you for the year 2024. At the end of the first session held in the new Parliament building, this Parliament took a very dignified decision to clear the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam," the Prime Minister said.

"And today the budget session is starting under the guidance of President Droupadi Murmu and tomorrow the interim budget by Nirmala Sitharaman ji is, in a way, a festival of Nari Shakti," he added.

Exuding confidence in his third straight victory in the coming Lok Sabha polls, PM Narendra Modi said, "Just before the election, we don't submit a full budget, this we will do after a new government is elected. This interim budget is a guideline for us. I am hopeful that the country will touch new heights of prosperity. Development for everyone is taking place. this journey will continue with your blessings. Ram Ram."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 353 seats, winning 45% of the total vote share. The NDA is all set to get on the battlefield with the slogan 'Abki baar, 400 paar'. Meanwhile, the budget session of the parliament commenced with President Drouapdi Murmu's address. In her address, the President said 2023 was a historic year for the country and among other steps, the country kept up the momentum of being the fastest-growing major economy.

"The year 2023 was a historic year for India when it grew the fastest among major economies despite the global crisis. India grew about 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters," she said.

With special reference to the Ram Temple, she added, "In the last 10 years, India saw the completion of several works towards the national interest that had been awaited by the people of the country for decades. There were aspirations for the construction of the Ram temple for centuries; today it has become true."

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the interim budget before the country heads for Lok Sabha polls later this year. This will be her sixth Budget as the Finance Minister and last in the second term of the Modi government.

The interim budget will take care of the financial needs of the intervening period until a government is formed after the Lok Sabha polls. A full budget will be presented by the new government.