New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS): The budget for 2012-13 will be presented after the assembly elections in five states but the dates are yet to be decided, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Monday.

"We have not yet decided the time (for the presentation of the budget) but naturally it will be after the elections," Mukherjee told reporters here.

He was replying to a question about the likely date of the annual railway and union budgets that are usually presented in the last week of February after parliament's budget session begins.

However, elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa in January-March have led to the shifting of budget dates due to the model code of conduct in force for elections.

The code, meant to prevent governments from giving out sops to voters, remains operational till the process of elections is completed. The results of the elections will be announced March 4. The entire process will get over March 9.

The staggered balloting starts in Manipur Jan 28 and ends March 3 in Goa.