The political temperature in Shimla is rising as the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha prepares for its first session of the calendar year. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania has called for an all-party meeting to be held just before the session begins on Monday, February 16.
The meeting is a customary but critical parliamentary procedure aimed at building consensus between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP to ensure the House functions without frequent disruptions.
The Monday Schedule The Budget Session will formally begin at 2:00 PM on Monday with the address of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. This will be the 11th session of the 14th Vidhan Sabha. Given that this is the first session of 2026, the Governor’s speech will outline the government’s roadmap and achievements, setting the tone for the debates to follow.
A Session Under Shadow of Crisis While the Speaker is pushing for “constructive debate,” the ground reality suggests a stormy few weeks. The state is grappling with a severe financial crunch, exacerbated by the Centre’s decision to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG).
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had previously called for a meeting to discuss the RDG issue, which the BJP, led by Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, skipped, citing scheduling conflicts. This friction is likely to spill over into the Assembly.
Opposition’s Strategy The BJP legislative party is expected to meet separately on Monday to finalize its strategy. Sources suggest the Opposition has prepared a “charge sheet” of sorts, focusing on:
- The halted recruitment processes and pending results.
- The “unfulfilled guarantees” (like the ₹1500 for women and 300 units of free electricity).
- The deteriorating law and order situation, highlighted by recent drug busts and violent crimes in Mandi.
- The controversial purchase of expensive laptops for HRTC officials amidst a ₹2200 crore loss.
Speaker’s Appeal Speaker Pathania has urged both sides to use the floor of the House for debate rather than disturbance. “The financial situation of the state is a collective concern, not just a political stick to beat the government with,” he reportedly stated. However, with the Lok Sabha elections of 2029 still far away, the local political dynamics are currently driven by the immediate economic survival of the state, making compromise difficult.
