Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth consecutive union budget, stopping just short of Morarji Desai’s record of ten.

Congress MP P Chidambaram, however, avoided commenting on the ‘India is a dead economy’ statement made by former US President Donald Trump last July, which was later echoed by Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the budget, Chidambaram said he could not respond as he lacked the full context of Trump’s original remarks.

The comment by Trump followed India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, which the US had criticized as indirectly funding military action in Ukraine. Trump imposed a 25 per cent penalty tariff on Indian imports and added: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Rahul Gandhi later supported the statement, saying, “He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. I am glad President Trump stated a fact…”

The remark sparked a political debate, with BJP leaders criticizing Gandhi, while some Congress members, including Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla, called the statement “completely wrong.”

Ahead of the budget, Gandhi had highlighted the impact of US tariffs on small textile businesses, noting on X: “50 per cent US tariffs are badly hurting textile exporters. Job losses, shutdowns… are reality of our ‘dead economy’.”

The debate gained traction following the budget announcement, which did not offer immediate relief to middle-class taxpayers and saw markets react sharply, with the Sensex closing 1,500 points lower on Sunday.

Chidambaram, as usual, led Congress’ critique of the budget, pointing to a decrease in capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 3.2 per cent in FY25 to 3.1 per cent, despite the proposal of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for capex. He added, “Revenue receipts short by Rs 78,086 crore… total expenditure short by Rs 1,00,503 crore… revenue expenditure short by Rs 75,168 crore… capex was cut by Rs 1,44,376 crore… not a word was said to explain this…”

Rahul Gandhi echoed the criticism, highlighting issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, declining household savings, and low investment. “A budget that refuses course correction and is blind to India’s real crises,” he said on X.

Responding to the criticism, Finance Minister Sitharaman said, “With due respects, I don’t know what course correction he is referring to. The economy and its fundamentals are strong.”

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is set to take on a prominent role following her husband’s tragic death in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. The decision to appoint her as Deputy Chief Minister was made solely by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s uncle and NCP-SP chief, revealed that the family was not consulted.

Addressing the media in Baramati, Sharad Pawar stated, “I don’t know,” when asked about being involved in the decision-making process for Ajit Pawar’s successor. He further clarified that he learned about the planned oath ceremony on Saturday evening through news reports. “We don’t know about the swearing-in. We got to know about it through the news. I have no idea about the swearing-in,” he added.

Sharad Pawar’s remarks underscore a clear separation between family matters and political decisions. The development comes after the NCP experienced a split in 2023, when Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle’s faction to establish his own political path within Maharashtra.

This appointment positions Sunetra Pawar to carry forward her late husband’s political legacy, even as senior party leaders maintain a cautious distance from the process.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said he would personally oversee the preparation of the Maharashtra government’s 2026–27 budget following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, underlining the need for administrative continuity during the transition.

Fadnavis said Ajit Pawar, who also held the finance portfolio, had already completed most of the groundwork for the upcoming financial year. The chief minister added that he would step in to ensure the process moves forward without disruption.

“To ensure his vision is fulfilled, I will personally oversee the budget work starting tomorrow,” Fadnavis said, noting that Pawar had invested considerable effort in preparing the financial roadmap.

The chief minister clarified that while the bulk of the budget exercise had been completed by Ajit Pawar, decisions regarding who would formally present the budget in the legislature would be taken at a later stage.

“Ajit Dada had handled all the budget preparations. I will now look into the remaining processes. We will decide in due course who will present the budget,” he said.

Fadnavis also sought to reassure political stability within the ruling MahaYuti alliance. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the state government would stand “with full force” behind the Nationalist Congress Party and Ajit Pawar’s family.

“Whatever decision the NCP takes regarding its leadership or the family, we as a government and as the BJP will stand firmly behind them,” the chief minister said.

Responding to questions on the vacant deputy chief minister’s post, Fadnavis said discussions were ongoing but emphasised that the decision rested entirely with the NCP.

“They have met me twice to discuss their internal procedures and options. The final call is theirs, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment until they decide,” he said.

Fadnavis also spoke about the pending mayoral elections in Mumbai, Nagpur and other cities, stating that talks within the MahaYuti alliance were continuing. He said candidates would be finalised after consultations with local party leaders and legislators in the coming days.