Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the opposition for what she termed a "misleading campaign" regarding the Union Budget, countering allegations that it favored the BJP's allies, JD(U) in Bihar and TDP in Andhra Pradesh.

During a Budget discussion in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman emphasized that the absence of a state's name in the Budget did not equate to exclusion. She noted that Kerala, governed by the Left, received Rs 818 crore as viable gap funding.

Using data from budgets during the UPA era, Sitharaman highlighted that multiple states were often not mentioned by name. She cited examples from various years: 26 states in 2009-10, 17 states in 2004-05, 18 states in 2005-06, 16 states in 2007-08, and 20 states in the full Budget of 2009-10.

Sitharaman, presenting her seventh consecutive budget on July 23, allocated significant funds for state projects: Rs 15,000 crore for developing Andhra Pradesh's new capital, Amaravati, and Rs 26,000 crore for road connectivity projects in Bihar. The opposition claimed these allocations favored states where the BJP relied on allies JD(U) and TDP to maintain power at the Centre.

Addressing allocations for Jammu and Kashmir, Sitharaman mentioned a substantial financial support of Rs 17,000 crore in the Union Budget, which includes Rs 12,000 crore for the Jammu and Kashmir Police and an additional Rs 5,000 crore in central assistance. She emphasized that this support aimed to provide J&K with more flexibility for development expenditures.