Mint poll finds high demand for populist budget

Major relaxations in direct and indirect taxes announced last year appear to have found favour with the population, but expectations for more still run high ahead of the Budget, a Mint readers' poll suggests.

- Rupanjal Chauhan

Most respondents to the poll still favour a populist budget approach, and are hoping for further tax relief and some exemptions under the new tax regime.

Mint surveyed its digital and print readers between 4 December 2025 and 26 January 2026 to capture public views and gauge what they want the government to prioritize this time. A total of 1,674 readers answered the poll. The sample is not representative of the population.