Government Calls All-Party Meet Before Budget Session

Government Calls All-Party Meet Before Budget Session

Why in News? 

The central government has convened an all-party meeting on January 27 ahead of the Parliament’s upcoming Budget Session, scheduled to begin on 28 January 2026. The meeting was chaired by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. All floor leaders from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were there to discuss key national and legislative issues.

What is an All-Party Meeting?

• About: An All-Party Meeting is a pre-session consultative forum where leaders (typically floor leaders) of all political parties represented in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are invited by the Government or Parliamentary Affairs Minister to meet and discuss the agenda before the start of a major parliamentary sitting such as the Budget, Monsoon or Winter Session.

• Objectives: The primary objectives of an All-Party Meeting are to foster consensus, improve parliamentary productivity, and ensure effective legislative functioning during important sessions such as the Budget Session. 

• These meetings aim to brief floor leaders on the government’s policy priorities, including upcoming major legislation, and allow parties to highlight issues they intend to raise. 

• They create a platform for parties to flag contentious topics early—such as inflation, unemployment or public welfare schemes so that informed discussions can take place within formal proceedings. 

• By securing commitments to cooperation, the government seeks to minimize disruptions (e.g., frequent adjournments or protests inside the House) which can impede debate and decision-making. 

• These meetings reinforce the spirit of parliamentary democracy by encouraging open dialogue, building trust and enabling a more structured legislative calendar.

Parliamentary Conventions Behind All-Party Meetings 

• Constitutional Basis: The All-Party Meeting is a customary gathering. The Constitution of India does not specifically mention all-party meetings. Instead, they are grounded in the following framework: 
  • Collective Responsibility (Article 75): Since the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, the all-party meeting allows the executive to engage with all shades of political opinion to ensure legislative accountability.
  • Article 118 (Internal Procedure): This article grants each House the power to make rules for its own procedure. The all-party meeting serves as an informal extension of this power, facilitating consensus that formal rules alone might not achieve. 
• Ministry Role: The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is the primary custodian of this convention under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961. 
  • Inter-Party Liaison: The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs acts as the Government’s Chief Whip, maintaining a continuous “liaison with Leaders and Whips” of various parties.
  • Logistical Precedent: By convention, the MoPA convenes these meetings at least one to two days prior to the start of the session.  
  • Ministerial Oversight: These meetings are customarily chaired by the Union Minister for Defence or other senior Cabinet members. 
  • Presiding Officers’ Role: The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha often hold separate, parallel meetings with floor leaders to discuss specific house-conduct rules. 

History of All-Party Meetings in India

• Pre-Independence: In 1927, the British government appointed the all-white Simon Commission to propose constitutional reforms. In response, the Indian National Congress organized an All Parties Conference in early 1928. It brought together diverse groups, including the Congress, Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, Central Sikh League, and the Liberal Federation.

• Post-Independence: During the period of one-party dominance under Jawaharlal Nehru, these meetings were less frequent. In 1955, the General Purpose Committee of the Lok Sabha recommended a general scheme of sittings to regulate the parliamentary year. As coalition politics emerged and regional parties gained strength, all-party meetings became a vital tool for the government to prevent session “washouts”.