Budget 2018 reactions: Manmohan points out faulty math, Yechury says unconnected to ground reality 

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is worried that fiscal arithmetic in the Budget may be faulty. “I don’t think I can blame the budget for being motivated by scoring points in elections, but fiscal arithmetic is at fault,” he told Indian Express, adding “this budget is high on projecting a bright picture but how will that be sustained (by the underlying fiscal arithmetic).”

When questioned if the budget was reform-oriented, Singh said the word reform has been used and abused too many times. “I don’t want to comment on it,” he said. “Real issue is whether farm crisis is a thing of the past, if not, what is the strategy to deal with the farm crisis,” Singh added.

While Jaitley promised implementation of the Swaminathan formula of setting minimum support prices for crops to give farmers 50% return over production cost from the upcoming kharif season, Singh questioned the implementation. “How will farmers’ income be doubled? How will these promises be fulfilled?” he said.

Budget unconnected to ground realities: Yechury

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the budget was "unconnected to ground realities". In his reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's last full budget before the next Lok Sabha election, Yechury said it "is a textbook exercise in post-truth".

Government has failed fiscal consolidation test: Chidambaram

While Jaitley said India was poised to become a $5 trillion economy soon, Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday said the Finance Minister had failed the fiscal consolidation test that will have "serious consequences" on the economic growth rate.

Chidambaram tweeted that the fiscal deficit limit of 3.2% in 2017-18 had been breached and was now estimated at 3.5%. "For 2018-19 also against 3.0%, he (Jaitley) has fixed fiscal deficit at 3.3%," Chidambaram said. "This failure will have serious consequences."

A ‘super flop’, ‘big bluff’ show: All India Trinamool Congress

Measures announced for farmers may not be sufficient: Deve Gowda

“The Finance Minister has tried to make improvements for farmers but the problems of farmers and rural people are enormous. Measures may not be sufficient,” former PM Deve Gowda told news agency ANI.

Nitish Kumar welcomes Budget proposals on MSP, healthcare

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose Janata Dal (United) Party is part of the NDA, welcomed the Budget proposal of increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops to 1.5 times of the input cost.

He also congratulated Jaitley for announcing the "grand initiative" of National Health Protection Scheme under which Rs 5 lakh cover will be provided a year to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families in the country.

"This grand initiative will be covering 10 crore families that means almost 50 crore people will get coverage upto Rs 5 lakh rupees every year," said Nitish Kumar.

More political reactions on the Budget:

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav:

Nationalist Congress Party MP, Supriya Sule:

AICC convener Priyanka Chaturvedi:

Political activist and a member of the Congress party, Salman Anees Soz:

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Its a grand budget, lot of announcements for the poor, farmers and tribals. This budget will also cement India as a global economic power.”

Calling it a “diasppointing budget”, Manish Sisoadia tweeted: