Kerala`s hopes rise for Union Budget 2026-27 with Shashi Tharoor highlighting Padma Awards. New Delhi: As the Union Budget 2026-27 approaches, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said Kerala is hopeful of receiving greater support from the Centre, especially after the state figured prominently in this year’s Padma Awards list. Speaking on Thursday about his expectations from the Budget, Tharoor admitted that predicting outcomes in an election year is never easy. Kerala emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Padma Awards 2026, with eight recipients from the state. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2026-27 on Sunday, marking her ninth consecutive Budget, a milestone praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a moment of pride in India’s parliamentary history.