The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly commenced in Shimla on February 16 and is scheduled to continue until February 18, unfolding against a backdrop of sharp political confrontation between the ruling Indian National Congress government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, with the session opening amid controversy after Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla reportedly skipped portions of his address linked to references about the 16th Finance Commission, triggering procedural unease and giving the opposition an opportunity to question the government’s drafting of the speech; the central political flashpoint dominating proceedings is the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant, a fiscal lifeline for the hill state, with the Congress government accusing the Centre of financially squeezing Himachal Pradesh and attempting to destabilize the state’s development trajectory, while the BJP has countered by alleging financial mismanagement, rising debt burden, and what it describes as the Sukhu administration’s failure to generate internal revenue resources, thereby turning the Assembly floor into a battleground over fiscal credibility and political accountability; Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is expected to frame his likely announcements around fiscal consolidation, restructuring of subsidies, rationalization of government expenditure, strengthening of tourism and hydropower revenue streams, targeted welfare support for women and youth, and possible measures for government employees and pensioners, while also projecting a narrative that the state’s economic stress is structurally linked to reduced central assistance rather than administrative inefficiency, and sources within the treasury benches indicate that the government may highlight steps taken to curb wasteful spending, digitize governance, and enhance tax compliance; on the other hand, the BJP legislators are preparing to press the government on unemployment figures, delayed infrastructure projects, the financial health of state-run corporations, and the rising public debt, arguing that the Congress came to power with guarantees that are now fiscally unsustainable, thereby intensifying the standoff as both sides attempt to shape public perception ahead of the next electoral cycle; security arrangements around the Assembly complex have been heightened in anticipation of protests by various groups seeking attention during the session, and the three-day proceedings are expected to witness heated debates, adjournment motions, and sharp exchanges as the opposition seeks to corner the government on governance performance while the ruling party attempts to consolidate its narrative of financial resilience and political stability despite external pressures, making this short but politically charged budget sitting a defining moment in the evolving power struggle between Congress and BJP within the state’s legislative arena.
