Nirmala Sitharaman to present first budget in July

NEW DELHI: The selection of Nirmala Sitharaman as the Finance Minister has been a surprising move. But as she has shown in her managing of the complex and vast defence ministry, the current task seems to not shake her.

Her long schooling in politics, and the organisational grind by being part of the BJP has been a learning experience. Having negotiated resentments within the party and vocal BJP opponents outside, Sitharaman is said to be a person with calm nerves. This can be called evident, with her marathon speech defending the Rafale deal in the Parliament, when she took up the allegations made by the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi point to point.

As the Balakot airstrikes became a key part of the 2019 campaign with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading from the front, she had forcefully articulated the point of view of the government by claiming credit for political will and giving credit to the armed forces could not be politicisation of the military.

Nirmala Sitharaman, is familiar with both GST and the Companies Act, as she had already worked closely over both aspects as a minister of state for finance five years ago. However, she is expected to begin cautiously, in the month of July Sitharaman will be leaving her imprint on the first budget which shall be represented.