Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing of plea seeking postponement of Union Budget

The Supreme Court on Friday refused the urgent hearing on a plea seeking postponement of the Union Budget presentation ahead of assembly polls in five states.

The plea sought that the budget be presented after March once the elections are over.

A bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar said, "We will hear the matter in due course of time, but not now." 

"There is no urgency in it. We will lay down the law when this petition comes up," a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said.

Advocate ML Sharma, who filed the PIL on the issue, mentioned it and sought an urgent hearing. The PIL has also sought a direction to strip BJP of its lotus election symbol for alleged violation of the model code of conduct which came into effect after declaration of assembly polls in five states. 

On Thursday, a united opposition lodged a complaint with the Election Commission on the date for the annual budget being too close to the assembly polls. The budget session of parliament, which will begin from February 1, is being advanced as the government wants early allocation of funds for various schemes from April 1, the beginning of the next financial year.

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced seven-phase polling for 403 assembly constituencies in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, two-phase polling in Manipur and one-phase polling each in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa respectively.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the counting of votes in all the five states will take place on March 11.