Ahead of Budget Session, Congress to meet on Friday

New Delhi: Ahead of the Budget Session, the Congress strategy group is to meet on Friday to discuss and strategise the party's stand during the session.

The Congress meeting will be chaired by Sonia Gandhi and attended by floor leaders of both the Houses, chief whips and important functionaries of the party.

The Congress is likely to raise the issue of MSP laws, growing unemployment and shifting of Amar Jawan Jyoti. The meeting comes ahead of the all-party meet called by the Centre on January 31.

The meeting of the floor leaders will be held virtually at 3 p.m. In the meeting of floor leaders of all parties, the government will deliberate with the opposition on issues that it would like to discuss during the session. The government will discuss the agenda and Legislative business that they would likely follow in the session.

The Budget Session will commence on the same day with the Presidential address at 11 a.m. followed by the laying of the Economic Survey. The finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1.

In a tweet, Union parliamentary affair minister Pralhad Joshi said, "1st part of the #BudgetSession to commence on 31st January, with the address of the Hon'ble President to both the Houses. On 1st February, Hon'ble FM @nsitharaman ji will present the Union Budget. To ensure Covid safety protocol, the two Houses of Parliament will function in shifts."