India's Parliament budget session starts on January 28, 2026, with an address by President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting of both houses. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1. The opposition is gearing up to raise issues like MGNREGA, Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
India's Parliament budget session commenced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with President Droupadi Murmu delivering an address to a joint sitting of both houses. The session will unfold in two phases: the first from January 28 to February 13, and the second from March 9 to April 2, comprising a total of 30 sittings. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget for 2026-27 on February 1, a date specially set despite falling on a Sunday.
A day prior to the session's start, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting attended by leaders from various parties, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. The government's aim is to ensure smooth proceedings without major disruptions.
The opposition has formulated its strategy to challenge the government. In a Congress parliamentary strategy group meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi, decisions were made to highlight issues such as MGNREGA, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), environmental concerns, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and foreign policy. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain stated, "MGNREGA is the biggest issue. Environmental issues, the matter of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, and foreign policy issues will also be raised." Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were present at the meeting.
Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has called another opposition meeting on Wednesday morning to finalize a joint approach. The first phase will feature discussions on the president's address and the budget.
