Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh have expressed their ‘disappointment’ with the Union Budget, which was tabled on Sunday. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are non-BJP-ruled states.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the budget neither had any announcement regarding the minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, nor did it provide any relief for industry, nor did it provide any relief in taxes.
"The central government's budget once again fell short of Punjab's expectations. This budget made no concrete announcements on MSP for farmers...youth. No concrete steps were taken in this budget to strengthen Punjab's economy. As always, Punjab and Punjabis were treated step-motherly. The people of Punjab are hardworking and enthusiastic. Together, we will ensure Punjab stands firmly on its feet again," said Mann in a post on X in Punjabi.
Where, on one end, the Chief Minister of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini, called the budget "visionary" and "people-centric”, the opposition called it “discriminatory”. He said the Budget reflects the spirit of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and Antyodaya, with direct benefits for farmers, youth, women, MSMEs, and the middle class. He said the total budget outlay of Rs 53.5 lakh crore and capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore would particularly benefit fast-growing states like Haryana.
Cabinet minister Anil Vij said special focus has been given to strengthening the pharmaceutical sector and Ayurveda, which will help boost employment and improve healthcare facilities.
‘The budget is discriminatory towards Haryana, and failed to meet the expectations of a common man’, said the former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday, as he showed his disappointment, saying the state has been left empty-handed in the budget, while the common man, farmers, laborers, and villagers have received no relief.
Hooda said, “Nothing has been done to provide relief from inflation, and no exemption has been given in income tax. While tax is being collected on cryptocurrency, the government is not clarifying whether it is considered legal or illegal.”
“Looking at the percentage of GDP spent on education, after the removal of the cess in 2002-03, the total expenditure was 2.3 percent, which has now decreased to only 1.1 percent—less than half. Similarly, in 2017, the target was to spend 2.5 percent of the GDP on health, but currently, it is below 1 percent. Budget cuts have been made in these sectors,” he cited.
Partap Singh Bajwa, who is the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, also said there was no relief for Punjab farmers and nothing was announced for the state's youth in the Budget. On the other hand, BJP Punjab State Working President Ashwani Sharma described the Budget as "visionary, pro-people and growth-oriented."
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday praised the Union Budget 2026-27, saying it will provide a new direction to the development of the country and states, adding that the budget will also increase opportunities for all sections of society.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) lambasted the Union Budget 2026-27, alleging that the central government has completely ignored the interests of small and hill states such as Himachal Pradesh.
CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan said Himachal Pradesh is a revenue-deficient state grappling with a severe economic crisis, but the Budget has failed to offer any meaningful support.
"According to the state government's assessments, the state has suffered losses of around Rs 18,000 crores due to multiple disasters triggered by torrential rains in 2023 and 2025. Despite this, no special grant for the state has been announced by the Centre even after repeated demands for a special disaster-mitigation package," he said.
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