Indian Government Rejects Opposition Demands Ahead of Budget Session

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting in New Delhi on January 27 to set the agenda for the Budget Session of Parliament. The session begins January 28 with an address by President Droupadi Murmu, followed by the tabling of the Economic Survey on January 29 and the presentation of the Union Budget 2026–27 on February 1. This marks the first time in Indian history the budget will be presented on a Sunday.

Kiren Rijiju, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, rejected opposition demands for new debates on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB–GRAM–G Act. The latter law replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Rijiju asserted that the government cannot reverse the gear on legislation already passed and that these issues had already undergone extensive discussion.

Opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress and AAP, planned a coordinated strategy to challenge the government on foreign policy, economic inequality, and unemployment. During a strategy meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence, the Congress party identified the replacement of MGNREGA and the SIR process as top priorities. Other parties raised specific concerns, such as the Biju Janata Dal noting farmers' distress in Odisha and the TDP requesting a tax waiver on unmanufactured tobacco in Andhra Pradesh. While Rijiju denied specific debates on these laws, he suggested concerns regarding the economy and US tariffs could be raised during the debate on the President's address.