The first Budget Session of the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly will commence June 18 with the inaugural address of Governor R N Ravi. On June 22, the newly inducted Finance Minister, Swapan Dasgupta is expected to table in the House the state’s budget for the financial year 2026-27.

A six-hour discussion on the Governor’s address and a ten-hour discussion on the budget are also scheduled in the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shankar Ghosh announced Tuesday.

The House will then adjourn for a brief recess on June 25 before reconvening on July 6 for the second phase of the session.

The minister said, “In this new Assembly, the Opposition will be given proper respect and will not be suspended for raising their voice against the government. We will allow constructive criticism against the government.”

TMC rebel camp leader Ritabrata Banerjee, recognised by the Speaker as the Leader of the Opposition, welcomed what he called was the BJP’s attitude towards allotting time for discussion in the session. He said, “In the last fifteen years, West Bengal Assembly sessions were held for the least time anywhere in the country…We want this tradition to change. The working days of the Assembly must be increased.” Ritabrata added that there were several issues he wanted to raise in the House.

Referring to the TMC challenging his appointment as the LoP instead of the party nominee Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Ritabrata reiterated Tuesday that if required, he could prove it on the floor of the House that his appointment is backed by the Opposition MLAs. “If the Speaker feels a floor test needs to happen, let there be a floor test…All this endless rhetoric and cross-talk will then come to an end.”

Meanwhile, an all-party meeting was called at the Assembly early on Tuesday ahead of the announcement of the Budget Session. However, it is learnt that the Mamata loyalist MLAs from the TMC were not invited at the meeting even as the rebel camp led by Ritabrata was extended an invitation.

Assembly sources told PTI that veteran TMC MLA and the party’s official LoP nominee Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay was not invited to the meeting. Beliaghata MLA Kunal Ghosh was also absent from the invite list.

– With PTI inputs