Budget 2026 Session Begins Today, President Murmu To Address Both Houses | What To Expect?

The upcoming Budget session of Parliament is scheduled to open on Wednesday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The government plans to conduct 30 sittings during this period, with the Union Budget 2026-27 to be presented on February 1.

As the session approaches, Opposition parties are preparing coordinated moves on several policy and governance issues. The Congress has decided to spotlight the National Rural Employment Bill, the Special Intensive Revision exercise, environmental concerns and questions around national security and foreign policy, according to a PTI report.

Budget session schedule and Union Budget timeline

The Budget session will formally begin on January 28 and continue until April 2, with an intersession break in between. Proceedings are divided into two phases, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1 during the first part of the session.

Budget session all-party outreach and Opposition strategy

Ahead of the session, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting on Tuesday to seek cooperation from both Treasury and Opposition benches. A PTI report stated that, separately, the Congress is preparing to raise the SIR process and linked electoral questions, along with other policy issues, inside both houses.

The Congress parliamentary strategy group met on Tuesday at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Leaders reviewed subjects such as the VB G RAM G Act, aspects of the ongoing SIR and implementation gaps in welfare schemes. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said Sonia Gandhi led the discussions and identified priorities for the party.

Speaking about the plan, Hussain said the party's main concern remains employment support schemes. "...Environmental issues, the issue of Ladakh and J&K, and the foreign policy issues will also be raised..." PTI quoted Hussain as saying. Hussain noted that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has called another meeting for Wednesday morning to firm up a joint Opposition strategy for the Budget session. With the session running until April 2, both the government and Opposition are preparing for detailed debates on economic, social and security-related legislation.