Telangana effect: Chidu to make budget speech from LS tv studio?

Following the disruption of Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge’s rail budget speech by anti-Telangana MPs and the pepper spray incident in the Lok Sabha, the UPA government would be understandably keen to ensure that Monday’s Vote on Account speech by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram proceeds smoothly. And according to reports, the UPA is so keen that the speech be heard by the general public, that they are willing to not even make it from the floor of the Lok Sabha. [caption id=“attachment_1393223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PTI[/caption] A report in The Indian Express  says Chidambaram could just move his speech to the studio premises of Lok Sabha TV, located in the Parliament complex itself, after merely tabling the Budget papers in the House. Quoting sources, the report said the government is keen to ensure that the UPA’s achievements be conveyed in the budget speech and is therefore wary of any disruption in Parliament by MPs from the Seemandhra regions of Andhra Pradesh. “In their Vote on Account speeches, outgoing Finance Ministers have always made it a point to elaborate on the salient achievements of the government, providing suitable ammunition in the run-up to the elections,” the report says. As it is the final budget speech for the UPA before Lok Saha elections later this year, it is unlikely that many new taxes or concessions will be announced. In fact, the finance minister’s speech is expected to be largely political.