The Maharashtra government tabled supplementary demands worth Rs 6486 crore as the four-week state budget session commenced on Monday. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also heads the state finance department, presented the supplementary demands. While the state is focusing on financial discipline, the MVA allies—Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (UBT)—were taken aback by the historically low supplementary budget.

Senior NCP-SP leaders Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad claimed that the state has never seen such a low supplementary budget. “I have never seen a supplementary budget with such a low figure,” said Patil, who has presented the state budget nine times. Echoing similar views, Congress leader Nana Patole took a sarcastic dig at the Mahayuti government. “Ajit Pawar must be congratulated for this move,” said Patole, former Maharashtra Congress president.