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Parliamentary precedent and constitutional rules suggest February 1 Budget date will remain unchanged
January 28, 2026: The Union Budget 2026 is scheduled to be presented in Parliament on February 1 (Sunday), just days after reports of a tragic plane crash in Baramati involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The development has raised questions over whether the government could defer the Budget presentation in light of the national shock and mourning. However, parliamentary precedent and constitutional practice indicate that a change in the Budget date is highly unlikely.
A key precedent dates back to February 1, 2017, when sitting Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister E. Ahamed passed away only hours before the Union Budget was to be presented. Despite the convention of adjourning the House following the death of a sitting member, the Speaker ruled that the Budget presentation was a constitutional obligation and could not be postponed. The Budget was tabled as scheduled, reinforcing the principle that financial business of this scale takes precedence over adjournments.
In Ajit Pawar’s case, he was a state legislator and Deputy Chief Minister, not a sitting Member of Parliament. Parliamentary procedure generally mandates adjournment only upon the death of a member of the concerned House. Even if state or national mourning is declared, such measures typically involve symbolic gestures like flying flags at half-mast, not halting Parliament’s functioning. With the Budget constitutionally required to ensure financial continuity before the new fiscal year begins on April 1, the February 1 presentation is expected to proceed as planned.