Since the Narendra Modi-led NDA government came to power in 2014, the Sensex has ended lower on eight out of the 15 Budget presentation days. These include two interim Budgets before the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
Last year, on the Budget day, the Sensex ended almost flat, rising just 5.39 points to close at 77,505.96.
On July 23, 2024, the Sensex fell 73.04 points. During the interim Budget on February 1, 2024, it declined by 106.81 points.
Mixed market history over the years
In 2023, the Sensex gained 158.18 points on Budget day. In 2022, it jumped 848.4 points, while in 2021 it saw a strong rally of over 2,300 points, or 5 per cent.
However, in 2020, the index fell sharply by nearly 1,000 points. In 2019, it gained modestly on February 1 but declined after the full Budget in July.
In 2018, the market ended slightly lower, while in 2017 it posted solid gains. Earlier, in 2016, the Sensex fell on Budget day when the Budget was still presented on February 28.