Without waiting for the Election Commission to indicate the election schedule for Uttar Pradesh, the government today decided to convene the Budget Session with the Presidential Address on February 23. The decision was taken at a hurriedly convened meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs today. After delaying the meeting in the hope of an EC announcement, the CCPA went ahead to draw the schedule for the Budget Session. The Railway Budget will be presented by Lalu Prasad Yadav on February 26 followed by the General Budget by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on February 28. A formal announcement is expected on Saturday.The first half of the session will continue till March 22. “The government found no reason to shorten the important Budget Session in anticipation of the UP elections. After due consultation, it was found that as long as no bills relating specifically to the election-bound state is passed by Parliament, there is no clash of interest,” an official in the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry said. The session will be reconvened after recess for 23 more sittings from April 17. “In all, there will be 44 sittings in the session,” sources added.Meanwhile, the EC is expected to announce the UP poll dates in early March. The commission is likely to hold the polls in the recess period to enable MPs to take part in the campaign. The new UP Assembly has to be come into being by May 14.
