Parliament Resumes With Contentious Bills, Manipur Budget, and Opposition Challenges

The second half of India's Budget Session sees debates on the Waqf Amendment Bill, delimitation, voter ID issues, and the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present Manipur's budget for 2025-26, following the state's imposition of President's Rule in February.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, faces opposition protests, particularly over the exclusion of dissenting notes in the Joint Parliamentary Committee's report.
Delimitation concerns dominate discussions, with southern and eastern states opposing population-based seat redistribution that could reduce their parliamentary representation.
The opposition plans to challenge the government over allegations of duplicate voter ID numbers raised by the Trinamool Congress, with the Election Commission promising corrective measures within three months.
Additional legislative priorities include the introduction of the New Income Tax Bill, 2025, which aims to simplify tax laws and modernize definitions, and the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill to establish a national rural management institute.