Budget 2026: Congress says it failed to address unemployment issue

Congress party in-charge for Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency Valluru Bhargav said the Union Budget presented on Sunday projected a narrative of growth, while failing to address the employment issue, which was the country’s most pressing matter.

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In a statement, Mr. Bhargav said, despite repeated promises over the years, unemployment rate remained high, real wages were stagnant, and meaningful job creation was absent. “An economy that does not generate jobs cannot improve the lives of the majority,” he said.

The government’s finance and trade policies continued to favour a small group of large corporates, while the MSMEs, farmers, and informal sector, which formed the backbone of employment, were largely neglected, he said.

The Budget appeared more focused on rhetoric than solutions, Mr. Bhargav obsered. “Recycled announcements and slogans cannot mask rising prices and increasing household insecurity,” he said, adding that India needed policies that created jobs and ensured broad-based growth, not narratives that exist only on paper.

“The government’s economic priorities seem tilted towards protecting select corporate interests, while the wider economy bears the burden through job losses, inflation and weakened public welfare,” he said.