Budget could be to 'please' and void of 'hard decisions': BJP

COIMBATORE: Former Finance Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said this year's Union budget could be a 'please all budget,' avoiding 'hard decisions' as the country may head for general elections this year.
 
"To overcome the slowdown in the economy being witnessed for the last four years, UPA government and Finance Minister, P Chidambaram have to take hard decisions. But being an election year, there would not be such measures," Sinha said.
  
He said BJP believed that the elections for Lok Sabha could take place in October or November, considering that polls are due for some State assemblies.
  
The four-year rule of the Congress-led UPA has witnessed distinct signs of slowdown in the economy. "The coming please all budget would further intensify economic challenge," he said here.
  
The economic situation was worsening as the Indian economic vehicle was running all these years by the fuel provided by the NDA government, he claimed.
  
Sinha said both internal and external financial experts have predicted severe challenges for the Indian economy in the coming years due to the policies being pursued by the UPA.
  
The impact of inflation and rising price of essential commodities would be severely felt on the common man and also on those who have availed home loans.
  
"There are economic discrepancies and rural areas are in distress as farmers are committing suicides and the Government has failed to stem the rot," Sinha said.