Besides the Lok Sabha polls, three BJP-ruled states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - face elections by the end of this year. The government is expected to focus its spending on agriculture, social welfare and infrastructure, especially on rural schemes. If combined with state fiscal deficits, it adds up to a whopping 7.1 per cent of GDP. Officials said despite rosy report cards, most of the spending on this score is likely to pick up only after the monsoon. "With inflation rising on the back of global crude prices, infrastructure building costs is likely to go up."

Source: The Telegraph May 25, 2018 19:30 UTC