Union Budget 2017: No state-specific schemes shall be announced to ensure fair elections, says EC

The Election Commission on Monday ordered that no state-specific schemes shall be announced in Union Budget in interest of free and fair elections.

EC also stated that it may be ensured that in budget speech, government's achievements in respect of 5 poll bound states will not be highlighted.

Earlier, Declaration of the schedule of Assembly elections 2017 in five states sparked a controversy over the scheduled presentation of Union Budget 2017 on February 1.

Opposition parties, including BJP’s Maharashtra ally Shiv Sena, had posed questions that Bharatiya Janata Party would get an undue advantage by announcing the Union budget just before the elections starting February 4 in Goa and Punjab.

Other three states going to the polls are Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand.