A new airport, a National Institute of Food Technology, a Makhana Board, a canal project, an IIT upgrade — these were among the sops that last year’s Union budget had showered on a poll-bound Bihar. Moments after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman was done in Parliament, chief minister Mamata Banerjee came out guns blazing against what she called a “Humpty Dumpty budget”. “The 10 crore people of Bengal are being branded Bangladeshis by the Prime Minister and the Union home minister. A beleaguered state BJP feebly attempted a public defence. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed the budget had given hope to the people of Bengal.

Source: The Telegraph February 02, 2026 01:54 UTC