Former Finance Minister T Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on the BJP government at the Centre for neglecting Telangana in the Union Budget 2025-26, presented in the Parliament on Saturday, while prioritising States heading for elections.

He criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a budget that caters to select States, questioning the BJP’s idea of Vikasit Bharat (Developed India).

“This is not a Union Budget; it is the budget of just three or four States. The Centre has been consistently using the budget as a political tool, and Telangana has once again been ignored,” he stated.