Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS): The debate on the proposals in the West Bengal Budget for the financial year 2025-26 is slated to start from Wednesday in the Assembly but in the absence of both the leader of the House and the leader of the opposition.

On one hand, insiders from the ruling Trinamool Congress said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who by virtue of her chair is also the 'leader of the House', does not have any schedule so far to be present in the Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday when the debate on the budget proposals is scheduled. On the other hand, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the House, Suvendu Adhikari will also not be able to be present during the debate since he was suspended from the House on Monday for a month allegedly because of his unruly behaviour in the House on that day.

Besides Adhikari, three other BJP legislators namely fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul, Bankim Ghosh and Biswanath Karak were also suspended for a month on Monday.

Political observers feel that in the absence of both the leader of the House as well as the leader of the opposition much of the attraction of the debate on the state budget proposals is bound to erode substantially.

The West Bengal Minister in charge of the finance department (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya presented the state budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the Assembly on on February 12.

This time, the discussion on the opening speech of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for the ongoing budget session of the House on February 10 was scheduled for Tuesday, a day before the date scheduled for the beginning of the debate on the budget proposals.

The Chief Minister participated in the discussion on the Governor’s opening speech on Tuesday. Controversy surfaced over a portion of the speech on Tuesday where she claimed that “Maha Kumbh” at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh has turned into a "Mrityu Kumbh”.