The Opposition was listless and almost disinterested

Although the benches in the Lok Sabha were dotted with red — ranging from the lightweight magenta Kanjivaram sari embellished with yellow checks that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chose for Budget day, to the brilliant red of the caps worn by Samajwadi Party MPs and the vermilion saris and shawls on both sides of the House — the mood of the House was grey, almost as grey as the sky outside.

- ADITI PHADNIS

The Budget speech (2026-27) got the expected applause from MPs from the treasury benches, but the mood of the opposition was listless and almost disinterested. Opposition MPs listened to the speech quietly, only protesting occasionally to flag the absence of poll-bound Kerala from explicit mention.

Sitharaman looked, as she has before, to the gallery where her extended family was seated, before launching into her speech. Her reference to the shift to the new offices of the Ministry of Finance in Kartavya Bhavan from the North Block evoked an appreciative smile from the Prime Minister. He would go on to thump the desk multiple times, especially when the minister referred to the control on fiscal deficit to 4.3 per cent, lower than in FY26, the bouquet of fisheries measures, hubs for health and a push to AYUSH and Ayurveda, including a traditional medicine centre at Jamnagar. The reference to a new deal for coconut farmers was also welcomed.