All-Party Meeting Held Ahead of Budget Session; Congress Raises Questions on Legislative Agenda

A day before the commencement of Parliament’s Budget Session, an all-party meeting was held to discuss legislative business and other key issues. The session is scheduled to run from 28 January to 2 April 2026, with the Union Budget to be presented on 1 February. The first phase of the session will focus on the President’s address and the subsequent discussion and passage of the Vote of Thanks, followed by deliberations on the budget.

Discussion on Legislative Agenda
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju attended the meeting on behalf of the government. Leaders from opposition parties, including Congress’s Jairam Ramesh and Kodikunnil Suresh, Trinamool Congress’s Sagarika Ghosh, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, and DMK’s T.R. Baalu, participated in the discussions.

Kodicunnil Suresh, Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, told reporters that party leaders raised concerns over the lack of clarity in the legislative agenda, particularly regarding bills to be introduced by the government. Government representatives responded that the detailed agenda would be provided at a later stage.

Budget Session Schedule
The Budget Session will officially begin on 28 January with a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, where President Droupadi Murmu will deliver her address. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Economic Survey and the Union Budget on 1 February, a Sunday this year.

The first phase of the session will continue until 13 February, covering discussions on the President’s address and the budget. The second phase will commence on 9 March and conclude on 2 April 2026.