Lucknow/Shimla, Feb 1 (PTI) Chief ministers of states BJP-ruled states in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan hailed the Union Budget announced on Saturday as a milestone in creating a "self-reliant" and "developed" India.

The reaction by leaders of opposition-ruled states was rather mixed, with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister saying the Budget fails to address concerns regarding unemployment, poverty and inflation while the National Conference, the ruling party in Jammu and Kashmir, said the announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were "balanced".

In a series of posts on X in Hindi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded the move to make income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free, saying it will improve the lifestyle of the middle-class.

Adityanath said the Budget "will prove to be a milestone in accomplishing the goal of Viksit Bharat".

He lauded the decision to provide term loan up to Rs 2 crore to 5 lakh women, SC/ST entrepreneurs in the next 5 years. He said crores of youth will get new opportunities when the Centre of Excellence of Skilling' and 'Centre of Excellence in AI for Education' are established.

Kisan Credit Card loan limit was raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, which will help farmers in the country, the UP CM said.

Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak also praised the Budget, saying it will benefit the poor, youth, farmers and women, while it also focuses on tax exemption and infrastructure development.

Former deputy CM of UP and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma said the Union Budget 2025-26 is "a booster" of policies and schemes to the economy that will "make India a world superpower".

UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said the Budget will "make the poor, youth, farmers and women economically strong" and will prove helpful in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Budget provides no plan to reduce inflation or unemployment and makes no announcement on the legal right on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops or loan waivers for farmers.

Yadav said the BJP government is misleading the common people through false figures and is "silent" in the Budget on the "faulty" GST.

"The government is also showing false hopes to the middle class. It is looting the people through other means. The government, which is making noise about the economy all over the world, is not able to organise a Kumbh in a safe manner," he said. A stampede at the Maha Kumbh killed at least 30 and injured 60 people.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said he believes the Budget's focus on "Make for World" will help make the country "a global economic power". Sharma highlighted the Budget's emphasis on balanced and inclusive development, noting significant relief provided to the middle class, economic support for farmers, and strengthened provisions for the MSME sector.

BJP state president Madan Rathore hailed the Union Budget as a boon for the middle class, particularly due to the income tax exemption on income up to Rs 12 lakh. He believes the Budget will be a milestone for the welfare and upliftment of people and will significantly contribute to a developed India.

State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said the Budget failed to address the needs of the common people in Rajasthan and only benefits capitalist "friends" of the government which will widen the gap between the rich and poor.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said Haryana being an agriculture-based state will greatly benefit from the Budget. "The loan limit on the Kisan Credit Card has been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. In addition, 100 districts with low agricultural productivity will be prioritised under the 'Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana'," he said praising the Budget.

Saini said the 5-year mission to boost cotton production will strengthen the textile industry. Loan limit has been increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore for start-ups, while the loan guarantee cover for the the MSME sector has been raised from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore, he said.

The Haryana CM added that the Budget includes significant announcements for the education and health sectors.

Former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda slammed the Budget, saying it provides no roadmap for job creation or reducing inflation.

He said there were no announcements for farmers and there was no mention of a guarantee on MSP on farm produce.

Congress leader and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja said the Budget lacks bold reforms and is "a budget of promises" without concrete implementation plans.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Budget fails to address critical issues of unemployment, rising prices, and growing inequality. It also fails to expand rail network in Himachal Pradesh, which was essential for economic growth in the state.

He said tough conditions are attached to interest-free loans given to states for capital expenditure making it difficult for small states like Himachal Pradesh.

"It's an anti-poor budget and not futuristic. It is a total opportunistic budget," he added.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday welcomed the Union Budget, saying it has given a big relief to the middle class by exempting annual income of up to Rs 12 lakh from income tax. He said Uttarakhand will get direct and indirect benefits from the many schemes announced.

Dhami said the Budget incorporates Uttarakhand's request for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cyber Security in the state. The government has announced five National Centres of Excellence in the country and 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools, he said.

The CM said Uttarakhand will also benefit from the extension of the Udan scheme in 120 more cities across the country. Medical services will expand in the state by setting up cancer centres in all districts of the country over the next 3 years, he said.

The ruling National Conference in J-K said the Union Budget looks balanced and exempting income tax up to Rs 12 lakh was "a good thing".

National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said he would expect J-K would be part of the 50 new tourism destinations and the medical tourism initiative announced in the Budget.

People's Conference president Sajad Lone, however, said there was not much in the Budget for Jammu and Kashmir, adding that allocation has been reduced by Rs 1,000 crore.

PDP spokesman Iqbal Tramboo said the Budget by the finance minister was "only a jugglery of words". There was not "even a mention of Jammu and Kashmir in the Budget", he said.

The Congress unit in J-K said the Budget was more focused on Bihar and election-bound Delhi for "political considerations". J-K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra said except for a "long-overdue minor relief" for the salaried class in the income tax slabs, Karra said there was no relief for the rest.

Karra added that there was no announcement on increasing the income or savings of people by providing alternate means of earning.

J-K BJP chief Sat Sharma said the "people-friendly" Budget has taken care of all sections of the society. PTI COR NAV CDN CHS AG ALM MIJ TAS SKY SKY