With the 'please all' efforts from farmers' loan waiver to raising of IT limit, the Union Budget 2008-09 was dubbed as an election-oriented exercise by friends and foes alike.

Main Opposition BJP wondered how the Congress led coalition woke up to the problems of farmers.

Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar asked why the government failed to notice the plight of farmers all these years and was talking of good governance only in an election year.

CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta described the budget as an "election stunt". "The finance minister has announced everything except the date of elections," he said.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party's Mohan Singh hailed the exercise saying the loan waiver of farmers was a welcome step, but wanted enlargement of the relief, given the fact that the indebtedness of farmers was to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh crore.

Shiv Sena's Anant Geete sought to concur with the BJP's stand, saying that the government has woken up rather late in the day. He also claimed that the loan waiver would not in any way ameliorate the plight of farmers in Vidarbha who are in deep debt.

BJD's Tathagat Satpathy disapproved of the loan waiver saying that the government should not encourage "bad habits" but invest in agriculture heavily to make it more viable.

Almost all parties felt that it was a totally election oriented budget.