Budget Session begins tomorrow: Opposition ready to corner Centre, stakes high for BJP

The Budget Session of Parliament will kick off on Friday with an address by President Droupadi Murmu. (PTI Photo)

The Budget Session of Parliament will kick off on Friday, setting the stage for what is expected to be an action-packed few weeks. While the Centre readies to present the first full Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term in office, the Opposition is learnt to have readied a plan to corner the government on several issues including "economic slowdown" and the impact of the policies articulated by US President Donald Trump.

For the BJP, the Budget is perhaps the most crucial so far -- it is the first time under PM Modi that it is not in a majority on its own -- as the expectations are riding high. The Centre also enters this session with the wounds of the Maha Kumbh stampede and the memories of the Lok Sabha elections where it was dealt a sort of a reality check.

After attending an all-party meeting convened by the Centre on Thursday ahead of the Session, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the Opposition INDIA Bloc will raise “all the issues together” and listed "rising unemployment", the “plight” of farmers, and “the politicisation of Kumbh”, and the alleged preferential treatment for VIPs.

The Opposition is likely to unite on a few issues such as the state of the economy and India's preparedness to deal with the likely impact of Trump's policies on immigration, visas and tariffs.

Notably, the past few months saw a rift within the Opposition camp as most notable regional parties, including the Trinamool Congress, chose to side with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP instead of the Congress ahead of the Delhi elections. There have also been calls suggesting that some Opposition parties were not entirely okay with Congress's role as big brother and leading the INDIA bloc.

While the Centre's Budget allocations, particularly for the agriculture and industries besides social security schemes will be watched very closely, it will be equally interesting to note how Opposition unity pans out as the Session progresses. The results of the Delhi elections are scheduled to be declared on February 8 and the first leg of the Budget Session will conclude on February 13.

The last Session ended on a bitter note with at least two BJP MPs alleging that they sustained injuries during a scuffle with Congress leaders at the entry gates of the Parliament complex. During this session too, the Congress is likely to maintain the pressure on the Centre over its disregard for BR Ambedkar other than its persistent allegation against the government on the issue of crony capitalism.

The Budget this year will also be watched for what it offers for states where polls are due this year and the next. While Delhi and Bihar are set to go to polls this year, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala are set to go to polls in 2026.

The first leg of the Budget Session will begin on January 31 and end on February 13 while the second leg will begin on March 10 and end on April 4. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for the year 2025-26 on Saturday, February 1.