Assembly Winter Session to demand answers on governance

The Delhi Assembly will begin its Winter Session on January 5, kicking off the first major legislative exercise of 2026 amid heightened public scrutiny of governance and service delivery. The four-day session, scheduled till January 8, is expected to focus on questions of accountability, efficiency and financial discipline across departments.

The session will open with an address by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at 11 am on the first day, after which the House will begin regular business. Subsequent sittings will start at 2 pm.

Officials said the upcoming session is expected to be more result-oriented than ceremonial, given the growing demand for answers on everyday civic issues. With limited sitting days, deliberations are likely to be sharp and focused, centring on how effectively the administration is delivering on its commitments across sectors such as health, education, water, power and urban development.

Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has urged members to use the sittings for “constructive and disciplined participation,” emphasising that meaningful debate and legislative scrutiny lie at the heart of democratic governance. “The Assembly must function as a forum to raise issues of public importance, seek clarity from the government and contribute to informed decision-making,” he said.

One of the highlights of the session is expected to be Question Hour, scheduled on three consecutive days, during which several key service-delivery departments will face questions from legislators. Officials said this will allow MLAs to seek specific, time-bound responses on projects and schemes that directly affect residents.

Special mentions under Rule 280 will also be allowed during the session, but with strict limits on the number and time. These short interventions are likely to be used by members to spotlight pressing civic and policy concerns — from welfare implementation to gaps in essential services.

“Beyond procedural business, this session is likely to serve as an early indicator of Delhi’s developmental direction in the new year. Floor interventions and the nature of official responses will show whether policy intentions are translating into concrete results on the ground. For the public, the proceedings are expected to provide clarity on whether welfare measures and resources are reaching intended beneficiaries. Observers say that, at a time when expectations from the government remain high, the Winter Session may offer vital insights into how ready Delhi’s administration is to address the twin pressures of urbanisation and governance in 2026,” according to a statement issued by the Delhi Assembly.

The session will open with an address by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at 11 am on the first day