Union Budget turns election spotlight on West Bengal with freight corridors, industry push

The Union Budget presented on February 1, 2026, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has drawn attention for its focus on infrastructure projects in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The budget includes proposals for a new freight corridor linking Dankuni and Surat, an integrated industrial corridor with Durgapur as a node, and tourism-focused interventions under the Centre's Purvodaya vision. The BJP views these announcements as reinforcing its narrative of development-led politics in eastern India, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticizes it as discriminatory and a political tactic to mask financial deprivation. The timing has raised concerns about whether these proposals will translate into actual spending before the election.