India's annual budget - which was unveiled on Thursday - is full of vague promises, suggesting that it is aimed at the general election due by mid-2019, writes Vivek Kaul.
Before India's finance minister, Arun Jaitley, presented his fifth and final budget, political watchers suspected the general election could happen earlier. Now, they believe it could happen by the end of this year.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is also gearing up for 10 different state assembly elections during the course of this year.
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It was widely expected that Mr Jaitley would do something for the agriculture sector - the bulk of India's workforce still depends on it. Growth in the sector is expected to come in at just 0.91% (gross value added) this financial year.
The government buys rice and wheat directly from farmers at a minimum support price. But many farmers do not benefit from this scheme, given its limited coverage across the country. Mr Jaitley has now promised to buy other crops at a minimum price or compensate farmers who are unable to sell their produce at a minimum price.
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