'It's a Humpty-Dumpty budget': Ahead assembly polls, CM Mamata Banerjee slams Union Budget 2026–27

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday criticised the Centre, calling the Union Budget 2026–27, “anti-women, anti-farmer, anti-education” and claiming that it has “nothing on offer for Bengal”, as political sparring intensified ahead of the state’s upcoming assembly elections.

"It's a 'Humpty-Dumpty budget', just jugglery of words", said Mamata.




Speaking at Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee said, “Nothing on offer for Bengal in Union Budget 2026-27.” Later in the day, she described the budget as “directionless, visionless; nothing for common man in it."


She said, "They announced three corridors, we have already announced six. What they said about the three corridors is absolutely garbage (full) of lies. Blatant lies. It is already in process, and we have started working there."

"In the Jangalmahal Jangal Sundari project in Purulia, for this economic corridor, Rs 72,000 crores are going to be invested. They have not given a single paisa to Bengal. Only one tax is there, GST."

"They are taking away our money and saying big things that they are giving us money. It is our money. So, they don't have any moral authority to run the government and finish the country like this. They want to destroy the economic structure of the country, the Constitutional structure of this country, and the independent agencies. They talk too much but do less work," West Bengal CM added.



Mamata remarks came hours after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in Parliament, outlining a series of proposals aimed at boosting infrastructure, tourism and regional development.

Among the key announcements was the development of an East Coast Industrial Corridor, with a well-connected node at Durgapur in West Bengal.

The government also proposed the creation of five tourism destinations in five ‘Purvodaya’ states, a term used to refer to India’s eastern region.

Presenting the budget, Sitharaman said, “I propose the development of an East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of five tourism destinations in five Purvodaya states, and the provision of 4,000 e-buses.”

The finance minister also announced a new scheme to develop Buddhist circuits across six northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura — as part of a broader push to promote tourism and cultural heritage.