New Delhi, January 30: The suspense over who will present the 2019 budget continues even as the budget is merely two days away. Reports say that interim finance minister Piyush Goyal may present the budget, but there is still no final word on it. Arun Jaitley, who is suffering from health issues, may not be present to present the budget this time. Budget 2019: Date, Time, Expectations and Where to Watch Live Streaming of Interim Budget.

Keeping up with the tradition, the Narendra Modi-led government ahead of the general election will present an interim Budget on February 1, which is widely expected to contain certain sops for farmers and middle class. Budget 2019 Expectations: Hike In Tax Exemption Limit, Sops For Farmers; Here’s What’s On Cards For Interim Budget on February 1.

The last Budget of the present NDA government is likely to be presented by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha. Interim Budget 2019 Expectations: Maternity Leave Salary to be Made ‘Tax-Free’, Say Reports.

Confusion was created after the commerce ministry on Wednesday in a whatsapp message to media said: “do not refer Budget 2019-20 as interim Budget, it is officially referred as general Budget 2019-20”. Interim Budget 2019: Tax Exemption Limit to be Raised Upto Rs 5 Lakh, Says Report.

However, the Finance Ministry later clarified that the Budget will be called interim Budget 2019-20. Budget 2019 Will be Interim Budget, Clarifies Finance Ministry.

There were confusion in political circle that the government may deviate from the practice of presenting interim Budget and come up with full Budget ahead of the general elections.

To this principal opposition party Congress had said it will strongly oppose both inside and outside Parliament the presentation of a “full budget” by the BJP-led NDA government as it has “no electoral legitimacy” and the step will go against set precedents and Parliamentary traditions.

Last week, Railway Minister Goyal was given additional charge of the Finance Ministry as Arun Jaitley has gone to the US for treatment.

Jaitley as the Finance Minister has presented five Budgets.

As per practice, a Vote-on-Account or approval for essential government spending for a limited period is taken in an election year and a full-fledged budget presented by the new government. While P Chidambaram had presented the previous UPA government’s Vote-on-Account in February 2014, Jaitley presented a full budget in July that year.

Narendra Modi-led government scrapped a colonial-era tradition of presenting the Budget at the end of February.

Expectations are high with this budget as it comes before the all important 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This is also the last budget of the Narendra Modi government before the elections. All eyes will be on interim minister Piyush Goyal on whether he will announce a budget that will be pocket-friendly and contain sops for the middle-class.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2019 09:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).