The great Indian Budget tilts towards Nitish and Naidu while Joe retires hurt, leaving Harris to face the Don

Hello readers,

Welcome to this week's DH Political Theatre, the platform for everything political taking place around you across the week. And, this week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman takes the cake for a Union Budget that has been touted as being 'discriminatory'! No no, we are not saying that, it is the states, again not Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, but other non-BJP ruled states complaining that the Budget was a 'kursi bachao' proposal.

Hmm, but can you complain? Apart from the non-BJP states, the salaried category seem to be grinding on the budget. Oh wait, how can we not look at the west and tell you about the US Presidential race, where Kamala Harris has filed her nomination to take on Trump after Joe Biden bowed out.

Not to forget, Uttar Pradesh's dictum to owners of eateries along the Kanwar yatra route to install a ‘nameplate’ of the proprietors in an attempt to sustain the purity of the religious leanings has suffered a roadblock named the Supreme Court. We will dive into all of these and more things political that played out in the last week. Here we go...

‘Sirf do thali mein pakora, jalebi’ - Union Budget in a nutshell, acc. to Kharge

Enough has been said about the Budget- from the saree Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman wore to the records she has broken along the way to becoming the first FM in the history of the country to present seven budgets in a row. The first Union Budget of the third successive NDA government made all the right noises before it was actually presented on the floor of the Lok Sabha, with the Economic Survey being the precursor. The Economic Survey raised the challenges and the complexities before the country, with experts, however, pointing out that it provided no solutions to the country's needs. The Opposition also criticised the Survey report saying it doesn't reflect the realities.

Fast forward to the Budget - Nirmala Sitharaman presented her seventh budget on July 23, wearing a cream saree with magenta border, completing her look with ---sorry, why so much detail of her outfit, nobody is attending a Great Indian wedding here!

So coming back to the Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, it focused on areas like enhancing productivity and resilience in agriculture, boosting employment and skills development, and fostering urban development with a significant proportion of the allocation going towards education and employment landscape.

The financial support for internships and targeted programmes for first-time job seekers are some of the other highlights of this year's budget. Sitharaman also announced projects worth Rs 15,000 crore and around Rs 60,000 in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, which the Opposition termed a “kursi bachao budget” to favour NDA allies - Janata Dal (United), BJP’s alliance partner from Bihar, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from Andhra Pradesh.

We saw the Opposition leaders from Kharge to Mamata sparring with the ruling party for 'ignoring' other states in the Budget, with many chief ministers from M K Stalin to Bhagwant Mann, deciding to boycott NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Modi on July 27. Mamata, however took a different turn and opted to attend the meeting and register her protest.

What's in a Name? In UP, everything!

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But in Uttar Pradesh, the administration begs to differ. They ordered eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners, supposedly to help pilgrims make 'informed choices'. The idea was that eating at a place not of their preferred choice might spoil the entire Yatra. Quite the commitment to preserving the purity of the pilgrimage!

However, the Supreme Court didn't buy it. It ruled that restaurants can't be forced to display the names of their owners or employees, though anyone who wishes to do so voluntarily can. Critics, particularly the Opposition, accused the state of trying to enforce a social and economic boycott of Muslim shop owners and workers, potentially fueling communal discord.

So, what's in a name? In UP, it's a lot more than Shakespeare ever imagined

Bihar's quest for special category status was denied again, but hey, look at the Budget bonanza!

The Centre has once again poured cold water on Bihar's appeal for granting special category status dusting off a 2012 inter-ministerial group report to justify their decision. Meanwhile, as pressure ramps up, the Modi government decided to keep things ‘constant’ by throwing a whopping Rs 58,900 crore Bihar’s way. The Budget is practically rolling out the red carpet: Rs 26,000 crore for roadworks, Rs 21,400 crore for a massive 2,400-MW power plant in Pirpainti, and Rs 11,500 crore to fight floods. It's akin to Bihar getting VIP treatment without the VIP tag.

'Scams' aplenty in Karnataka

Down south, it’s like every politician decided to have their scandal party in the state of Karnataka. From MUDA and Valmiki Corp, it’s one big scam fest after another, with more twists than a Bollywood blockbuster. While the former minister, B Nagendra, has taken a VIP pass to judicial custody for a 14-day stint (until August 4) following his arrest in the alleged multi-crore scam at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, the state Assembly and Legislature are basically on an extended coffee break, thanks to the uproar over the land 'scams'. The opposition BJP and JD(S) are up in arms, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi of some dodgy land deals from MUDA. The opposition is baying for Siddaramaiah's resignation, but the CM remains 'adamant', saying nothing illegal here.

Meanwhile, the state has put the brakes on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which would have created a super body to oversee Bengaluru. Think of it like a council of superheroes, but with more paperwork and fewer capes. The bill is now in the hands of a Joint Select Committee, which sounds fancy but means it’s on pause.

Oh, and in case you missed it, the Uttara Kannada landslide has everyone talking. The landslide took eight lives and sparked debates about the unscientific construction of NH 66 in an ecologically sensitive area. As search operations continue, the government is getting flak for taking its sweet time with the rescue efforts.

Mamata's 'shelter' remark draws Centre's ire

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stirred the pot with her suggestion to offer shelter to distressed folks from Bangladesh. Her remarks, intended as a show of goodwill, didn’t sit well with the Centre or the BJP, who felt it was a bit too much like trying to play diplomat without a license. The Centre is not thrilled about states making their own foreign policy decisions, especially when it disrupts the carefully crafted Delhi-Dhaka bromance.

From the Global Buzz

Joe Biden bows out of race; Kamala Harris wins toss, elects to bat

In a plot twist that no one saw coming (except maybe those who saw the debate), Joe Biden has decided to drop out of the Presidential race. His running mate, Kamala Harris, is now the chosen one. Biden’s sudden exit was about as surprising as discovering your phone battery is dead right when you need it most. Meanwhile, Trump is sharpening his rhetoric. The Democrats are now running faster than a hamster on a wheel to gather support, hoping the dust settles before they get caught in a whirlwind of their own making.

Bangladesh crawling back to normalcy

After a nationwide job quota protest, Bangladesh is limping back to normalcy. The protests, which began in colleges and spread across the country, led Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to impose a curfew and call for help from the barracks. The unrest resulted in nearly 150 casualties, which has everyone wishing for a "pause" button on the chaos. The nation is now trying to reboot and chug back to its regularly scheduled programming.

That's it about this week. We will be back next week again with more chatter from the political corridors. Until then, stay safe and good bye!

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DH Newsletters Team