The Budget Session of Parliament commenced with the joint address of President Droupadi Murmu and will be held in two phases. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1.
The first phase of the Budget Session formally began with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to both Houses of Parliament. The address outlined the government’s policy priorities, legislative direction, and agenda for the session.
The first phase of the session will continue until February 13. The second phase is scheduled from March 9 to April 2. During the session, the Union Budget will be presented by the Finance Minister on February 1.
Ahead of the session, an all-party meeting was held in which sharp disagreements were witnessed between the government and opposition parties.
The all-party meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju represented the government’s position and responded to opposition demands. He stated that the government’s priority was to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament and that discussions could take place only within the framework of established rules. He appealed to opposition parties to avoid disruptions during the session.
The opposition sought a discussion on the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), known as the VB-GRAMJI law. The opposition argued that the law brought major changes to the rural employment framework and required detailed debate in Parliament.
The government rejected the demand, stating that the legislation had already been passed by Parliament during the previous Winter Session and had received presidential assent, thereby becoming law. The government maintained that laws passed by Parliament are not reopened for discussion.
The government stated that the VB-GRAMJI law replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and provides a guarantee of 125 days of employment instead of 100 days for rural households.
Another issue raised by the opposition concerned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process that began in 2025. Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, alleged that the exercise could affect minorities and migrants in certain states and could lead to the removal of voters’ names in poll-bound states.
The government declined a discussion on the issue, stating that electoral reforms had already been debated extensively in the previous session. It said that the Election Commission’s procedures operate within the constitutional framework and should not be politicised.
Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose, and CPI(M) leader John Brittas, accused the government of not sharing the legislative agenda in advance. Sagarika Ghose stated that Parliament could not be run unilaterally.
Responding to the allegation, Kiren Rijiju said that the formal agenda is shared after the President’s address, in accordance with parliamentary tradition.
The Union Budget will be presented on February 1, which falls on a Sunday. Such an occurrence is considered rare in parliamentary practice, as the Budget is usually presented on a working day.
During the Budget Session, Assembly elections are scheduled in five states—Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry. The election schedule is expected to coincide with heightened political exchanges in Parliament.
