BJP’s dilemma over poor budget allocation in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The poor allocation to the state in the Union budget has put the BJP on the defensive.

This is the first budget after a BJP MP was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala. Both UDF and LDF have come out against the raw deal meted out to the state by the Modi government. The two union ministers from the state did nothing to safeguard the state’s interests, sources said.

The LDF and UDF accused the Centre of being biased against Opposition-ruled states. The budget paved the way for uniting the two fronts which were in a fighting mode just before the presentation of the budget. The state had sought a special package of Rs 24,000 crore to tackle its financial crisis. Both fronts are aiming to draw political mileage out of the situation.

“The budget is disappointing and it is against any type of development,” Finance Minister K N Balagopal told TNIE. “While allocating funds for infrastructure development in Bihar, the central government neglected the Vizhinjam international seaport project. We are forced to borrow Rs 23,000 crore for the infrastructural development of the project. Putting political pressure is the only way to achieve our demands,” he said. Congress Chief Whip in Parliament, Kodikkunnil Suresh, also echoed similar sentiments. The Congress will expose the union government in Parliament, he said.

BJP leaders are finding it hard to explain the situation in the wake of the changing public mood. “This is a hard position for the party,” a state office-bearer told TNIE on condition of anonymity.

“Earlier we had no elected MPs from the state and we were saying that if we had one representative from Kerala, our situation would have been better. Now people have elected an MP and the state has two ministers. It will be difficult to convince people,” he said.

Taking into consideration the evolving political situation, the BJP leadership is gearing up to organise meetings to explain the ‘truth’ behind the budget controversy. The meetings will be held before the byelections. “Once we get full details of the budget, we will explain it to the people by organising seminars,” state president K Surendran told TNIE.

Meanwhile, BJP has already started damage control by alleging that it was the actions of the state government which led to poor allocations.

“The state should have submitted project proposals to the central government. The demand for Rs 24,000 crore is related to the state’s revenue deficit. The centre has allocated funds for railway line doubling and NH development. Many BJP-ruled state’s names were also omitted in the budget speech,” BJP spokesperson K V S Haridas said.