NEW DELHI: With an eye on the next Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2018-19 budget on Thursday proposed a major health insurance scheme for the poor, a higher minimum support price and a step up of Rs 1 lakh crore as institutional credit for farmers along with a spend of nearly Rs 6 lakh crore on infrastructure development.


Narendra Modi: The Union Budget for 2018-19 "development-friendly" and it will strengthen the vision of a 'new India'. The budget is "farmer friendly, common citizen friendly, business environment friendly" and will add to 'ease of living' and 'ease of doing business

P Chidambaram: It is a defeatist budget. I think they have thrown in the towel. It is a budget of a government which has conceded that it has failed to address key issues in the economy... Unfortunately, the budget proposals are a big letdown

Amit Shah: This budget gives new wings to the aspirations of the poor, farmers and the middle class. The New India Budget will truly empower all sections of the society to attain prosperity

Arvind Kejriwal: I had expected some financial assistance to important infrastructure projects for the national capital. Am disappointed that Centre continues its step-motherly treatment to Delhi

Devendra Fadnavis: The Union Budget was a big boost to sectors like infrastructure, economy, health care and job creation. The decision to increase farmers' income was "historical"

Nitish Kumar: The Union Budget was good for the people, particularly the poor and farmers. The government's decision to provide health insurance to 10 crore families is a big move. This grand initiative will cover 10 crore families, which means almost 50 crore people will get insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh every year

Sitaram Yechury: The Union Budget was "unconnected to ground realities"

Tejashwi Yadav: The budget contained nothing for Bihar. The state got nothing despite promises of a special package and a special status. Nitish Kumar should tell us whether this is the double engine for him. It is because of him that the Centre is meting out stepmotherly treatment to Bihar

Mayawati: The Union Budget presented in Parliament today as anti-poor and pro-capitalists. Like the previous budgets of the Narendra Modi government, this one was also "anti-poor and pro-capitalists"

Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Arun Jaitely presented a visionary and futuristic budget which will provide an impetus to creation of a New India. It touches the chord of each and every section of society - farmers, salaried taxpayers, senior citizens and the poor