New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS): Some 44.1 per cent respondents in the IANS-CVoter Post Budget have said that prices (inflation) will "not at all" come down after this Budget.

The IANS-Cvoter BUDGET INSTAPOLL was conducted right after the live telecast of the presentation of the 2022-23 Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; interviewing approx 1,200+ randomly selected respondents across all demographics.

Data weighted to known population profile. Margin of error is +/- 3 per cent at national level and +/- 5 per cent at regional level.

Some 26.7 per cent respondents said that prices may come down ‘a little bit' while 22.6 per cent said prices will come down by a large extent, as per the survey.

The Union Budget did not have any changes in personal income tax disappointing the middle class which has been struggling with lower incomes and higher inflation in the pandemic era.

Measures to boost private consumption are limited in the Union Budget. Personal income tax related measures such as tax cuts, hike in standard deduction, and higher MGNREGA spending would have made an immediate positive impact on consumption, Morningstar Investment Adviser India said in a report.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to succumb to electoral pressures as the Union Budget had no mention of populism or playing to regional galleries.

Elections to five states are slated this month but a Budget perusal will leave you wondering as Sitharaman has focussed on the economy imperatives and there is no hint of populism or giveaways for even the largest state of Uttar Pradesh which is headed for the polls.

Her focus has been on growth and focussing on new age sectors like fin tech, start ups, crypto currency, digital rupee, drones, solar energy, leveraging technology among others.