Budget 2023: Kharge, other Congress MPs "stuck" in Srinagar; Sonia Gandhi to attend President's address

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi would attend Tuesday's Presidential address in the Parliament as many of the party MPs are stuck in Srinagar, informed party sources.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also said that party chief and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge along with other Members of Parliament (MPs) would not be able to attend the address of President Droupadi Murmu in Parliament on Tuesday.

"Due to the delayed flights from Srinagar airport on account of inclement weather conditions, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and many other Congress MPs will be unable to attend the President's address to both Houses of Parliament at 11 am today," Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also expressed his regret for his absence attend the Presidential address as he is also stranded at the airport in Srinagar due to the prevailing weather conditions.

"Due to inclement weather in Srinagar, I have been stranded at the airport in Srinagar. I may fail to join the Presidential address in Parliament today. So I deeply express my regret, I will communicate this to the Speaker also," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said talking to ANI.

The party leaders went to Srinagar to attend the concluding ceremony of Bharat Jodo Yatra, held on Monday.

The budget session of Parliament will commence today with President Droupadi Murmu's maiden address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at 11 am at Central Hall of Parliament.

The Economic Survey will also be tabled in Parliament today ahead of the Union Budget 2023-24 which will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday.

This budget will be the last full-fledged Union Budget of the Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

There will be a separate sitting of the Rajya Sabha for the transaction of government business, half an hour after the conclusion of the President's Address today. However, the sitting will be held for a short duration as per procedures for the transaction of government business.

On Monday (Yesterday), the government held an all-party meeting in which the opposition parties raised issues of their concern, which was attended by all the top leaders from the opposition parties including DMK leader, TR, Balu, TMC leaders, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, TRS leaders K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageswara Rao, except Congress.

According to government sources, both Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were held up yesterday as well due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra which culminated in Srinagar on January 30.

Other party leaders who were present included Vijayasai Reddy from YSR Congress, Farooq Abdullah from the National Conference, Professor Manoj Jha from the RJD and Ram Nath Thakur of JDU. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) was represented by Priyanka Chaturvedi.

The all-party meeting is a customary meeting that takes place ahead, of the start of every session of Parliament. During the meeting, the Government will seek cooperation from all political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses of Parliament during the Session.

( With inputs from ANI )