New Delhi, Jan 30 (NationPress) On Friday, political responses emerged swiftly after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey for 2025-26 in Parliament. Leaders from various political parties provided sharply differing evaluations regarding India’s economic direction, growth forecasts, and challenges within key sectors.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Anil Rajbhar welcomed the results, emphasizing India’s swift advancement in global economic rankings.

“Despite the challenges posed by the Covid era, India ascended to the position of the world’s fifth-largest economy and recently became the fourth-largest. Today, under the leadership of a dedicated and efficient government, the nation is steadily progressing towards the goal of Viksit Bharat. Consequently, India has been recognized as the fastest-growing economy globally,” Rajbhar stated in an interview with IANS.

On the flip side, opposition leaders expressed caution. BJD MP Sasmit Patra remarked that while the growth forecasts appear positive, the real challenge remains in agriculture and related sectors.

“From a national standpoint, the economic survey outlines certain GDP growth projections that sound promising. However, the largest contributions are expected to arise from two sectors. The primary one is agriculture and farming. Presently, the farm sector is facing issues, with markets remaining closed and procurement not taking place. Farmers are struggling to access fertilizers,” he conveyed to IANS.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC defended the government’s economic strategy, referring to the survey’s focus on reforms.

“According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, India’s ‘Reform Express’ emphasizes strong macroeconomic fundamentals, resilient growth, and continuous progress — a vision of the Modi government,” she stated.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo described the survey as promising and indicative of policy consistency.

“The newly released economic survey is indeed encouraging. These findings reflect that the Prime Minister’s visionary policies are now evident in practice. The growth forecast for the upcoming year was revised from 6.8 percent to 7.2 percent, marking a highly favorable development,” he shared with IANS.

In contrast, Congress leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar raised alarms about Maharashtra’s financial health.

“The economic survey underscores Maharashtra’s current situation. Analyzing it reveals that the state may struggle with forthcoming projects, and even banks might face challenges in providing credit. We have been monitoring the state's finances for the past two years,” he noted.

The Economic Survey for 2025-26 was presented a day after the commencement of the Budget Session in Parliament. Compiled by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the guidance of Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, this document serves as the government's official evaluation of the economy and provides an outlook for the upcoming fiscal year.

As in previous editions, the Survey focuses on essential growth drivers, fiscal and external sector stability, inflation trends, employment conditions, and the pace of structural reforms, preparing the ground for the Union Budget to follow.