As head of the finance department, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented his first-ever budget, clearly keeping in mind the political traction the new government wishes to get from target groups. He made provisions, announced a slew of new schemes and extended the existing ones now being executed by the Centre with the support of the states. His resolve to deliver the Panchamrut (five-elixir) principle comes from a concept that is powered by the double-engine format, a collaboration between the Narendra Modi government and the BJP installed in Maharashtra last year.

Every detail of the budget has been designed by Fadnavis, a keen student of budgeting practices. Ever since he entered the legislature in 1999 and got an opportunity to attend the successive budget sessions controlled by the then ruling parties for 15 years, he has made a mark as a harsh critic and budget analyser (from the Opposition benches). He has authored a book ‘How to read the budget’ that is a handbook for newcomers to the legislature and journalism field. Later, his own government tabled five successive budgets that also reflected his thoughts as the CM.