LUCKNOW, Feb. 11 -- As the Yogi Adityanath government 2.0 prepares to present its tenth annual budget for 2026-27 on Wednesday ahead of the UP assembly elections in 2027, the focus is expected to be on giving a strong push to ongoing projects, implementing earlier announcements and shaping a people-centric budget while maintaining fiscal discipline. Likely to be around Rs.9 lakh crore, the budget is expected to place greater emphasis on initiatives aligned with the state's one-trillion-dollar economy vision targeted for 2029-30 and the 'Viksit Uttar Pradesh@2047' roadmap, apart from keeping in view the upcoming assembly polls. The Yogi government's 2025-26 budget stood at Rs.8.08 lakh crore, a rise of 9.81% from the 2024-25 budget, followed by a supplementary budget of Rs.24,496.98 crore presented in December 2025. Finance minister Suresh Khanna is scheduled to present the budget in the state legislative assembly at 11 am in the presence of the chief minister. This will be the final full annual budget of the Yogi 2.0 government before the 2027 assembly polls. Chairing a preparatory meeting ahead of the budget, the chief minister directed officials to prioritise public welfare, development and financial prudence in the state's annual financial plan. Declining to share details, Finance and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said, "This budget is being crafted in such a manner that it will make everyone happy." Khanna is expected to carry his trademark red briefcase to the House on budget day. A brief media interaction is also likely before the budget is tabled. Keeping the panchayat polls in view, local bodies may receive increased allocations along with key projects such as metro expansion, expressways and other infrastructure works. Uttar Pradesh has seven expressways currently in operation, and as the state plans at least a dozen more, significant funding will be required. The state has also proposed a north-south highway corridor; in the first phase, six road stretches connecting over 20 districts have been identified. Until now, the state's major corridor planning had focused largely on east-west connectivity. The state's investment plan will also require major allocation, including schemes to be implemented under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The government is likely to earmark funds particularly for the health sector under the 'One District, One Medical College' scheme, incentives for industries and welfare schemes for women and youth. Allocations for infrastructure, especially construction of expressways, are expected to increase, as in previous budgets. Welfare schemes for youth, women and farmers are also likely to receive emphasis. The government will also look to ensure that the gap between budgetary allocation and actual expenditure is reduced....