The Budget Session 2026 of the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will commence on February 2nd, 2026, in Jammu. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has formally announced the convening of the session. As per tradition, the session will begin with the Lieutenant Governor’s address.
The Assembly Secretariat has issued necessary notices to all MLAs regarding the session. Members have been asked to submit starred and unstarred questions, private bills, and resolutions to the Secretariat within the stipulated timeframe.
Assembly Secretary Manoj Kumar Pandita stated that the Lieutenant Governor has convened this session of the Assembly using the powers conferred under Section 18(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. He stated that all MLAs have been informed that they can submit a maximum of 10 starred and 10 unstarred questions by January 12, 2026.
In addition, each MLA can introduce a maximum of two private members’ bills for House proceedings, which must be submitted by January 15, 2026. Regarding motions, each member can submit a maximum of four, with the deadline set for January 17, 2026.
Although the Secretariat has not formally announced the total duration of the session, nor has it clarified whether the session will be adjourned due to the month of Ramadan, sources indicate that the budget session will be held in two phases.
Sources indicate that the first phase will run from February 2 to February 19 or 20, 2026, during which the 2026 budget will be presented and passed. After this, the session may be adjourned for a short period. The second phase is expected to begin on March 21, 2026, and will last approximately one week. The Speaker of the Assembly will soon release a provisional calendar to indicate which legislative work will be conducted on which days during the session.
It is noteworthy that this will be the second annual budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, which became a Union Territory on October 31, 2019.
The first Assembly was constituted in October 2024, and its first session concluded in March-April 2025. The first budget session of 2025 was also held in two phases, which was temporarily postponed due to festivals such as Eid and Navratri.
This time too, there is considerable excitement in political and administrative circles regarding the budget session, as it is expected to include important discussions on the Union Territory’s development, financial priorities, and policy decisions.
