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Parliament session to be held from January 28 to April 1; Budget likely on February 1
The earlier than usual start of the second half of the session has been designed keeping in mind assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory
The all-important budget session of Parliament, the longest in the calendar year, will begin on January 28 and conclude on April 2, with a break in-between, Union minister for parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Friday.
The Union Budget is likely to be tabled on February 1, a Sunday.
The earlier than usual start of the second half of the session has been designed keeping in mind assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory. Elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry are due in March-April this year.
In a post on X, the minister said that on the recommendation of the Union government, President Droupadi Murmu has approved the summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for Budget Session 2026.
“The first phase concludes on 13 February 2026, with Parliament reassembling on 9 March 2026, a vital step towards meaningful debate and people-centric governance,” he said.
Although the government is yet to make an announcement, the Union Budget is expected to be presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, February 1.
Owing to the scheduled date being a Sunday and a restricted holiday in account of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, there was speculation that the Budget could be presented a day earlier or a day later.
According to people aware of the details, there have been instances of the Budget being presented on the weekend.
The upcoming session will be held after a meaningful winter session that cleared important bills and also saw debates on the 150th year of Vande Mataram, India’s national song, and electoral reforms.
Usually, the second half of the budget session runs till mid-April. An early closure of the session means that parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Left parties and other smaller outfits in these states would get more time to campaign for the polls.
In the last session, both Houses of Parliament passed eight bills, including the G Ram G Bill that replaces the flagship MGNREGA, and The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 that allows private enterprises in the sector and dilutes suppliers’ liability.
In the winter session, the Lok Sabha worked for 111% of its time and the Rajya Sabha, 121%
