New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday described the Union Budget 2026 as "underwhelming", saying it fails to address the everyday economic anxieties of ordinary citizens, persistent unemployment, key foreign policy priorities, and long-pending demands of Kerala, even in an election year.

Reacting to the budget, Tharoor said to ANI, "I think that, honestly, this is an underwhelming budget. It's one where a number of things have disappointed us."

Referring to fiscal deficit targets, he acknowledged the marginal improvement but questioned the celebration around it.

"You mentioned fiscal deficit, and indeed, it's good that there's been enough discipline that we can go down from 4.5 to 4.4 and look forward to 4.3. But I'...