Gujarat Assembly Budget session begins today, budget on Feb 18

The budget session of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly began on Monday and will continue until March 25, with the state government outlining its development roadmap.

The session commenced with the Governor’s address. The House is scheduled to function for 23 days during the 38-day session, with a total of 26 sittings.

In a departure from convention, the annual budget for 2026–27 will be presented on the third day of the session rather than the second. Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai will table the Budget on February 18, marking his fifth presentation.

Earlier, the budget was scheduled to be presented on February 17. However, the date was revised, reportedly in view of the new moon and a solar eclipse coinciding on Tuesday. The change has sparked discussion in political circles, as it breaks a long-standing practice of presenting the budget on the second day of the session.

On the first day, the Assembly paid tribute to former ministers and MLAs who passed away, following which proceedings were adjourned.

The government is expected to introduce and pass key bills, including amendments related to universities and other statutory matters.

Ahead of the session, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had convened a meeting of its MLAs to chalk out a strategy and ensure strong attendance and discipline in the House.

The Opposition, led by the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, has indicated it will corner the government on issues such as inflation, unemployment, alleged paper leaks and farmers’ grievances. 

A ‘Janakrosh Sabha’ held in the capital recently drew significant participation, emboldening Opposition leaders to adopt an aggressive stance inside and outside the House.

Congress leaders, including Amit Chavda, Jignesh Mevani and others, are expected to play a prominent role during debates.

Political observers note that some MLAs reportedly left out of the recent cabinet expansion may express dissatisfaction during the session. With new ministers set to face the Opposition for the first time in the Budget Session, internal discontent could pose an additional challenge for the government.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate Purnesh Modi was elected as Deputy Speaker of the house by voice vote. He was contesting against Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar.