Kolkata, Jan 14 (PTI) With barely three months left for West Bengal Assembly polls, the spotlight has shifted to the interim budget next month, widely viewed as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's last major opportunity to woo voters with sops before the model code of conduct kicks in.

Going by convention, the state budget is presented within a week of the Union Budget.

With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to table the Union Budget for 2026-27 on February 1, the state government is expected to convene its budget session in the first week of February and place a 'vote on account'.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has confirmed that preparations for the budget session are underway, signalling that the state government is entering a crucial pre-election phase where fiscal announcements often double up as political messaging.

"The process for the budget session has started. The House is likely to meet in the first week of February," he said.

The interim budget will outline proposed expenditures and flagship announcements, with the understanding that full implementation would follow only if the incumbent government returns to power.

That is precisely why expectations among the electorate are running high.

In 2021, ahead of the last Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress government used the interim budget to significantly enhance allocations for 'Lakshmir Bhandar', now one of the state's most popular social welfare schemes.

The monthly assistance under the scheme was raised from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, a promise that was later fulfilled after the party returned to power for a third consecutive term.

Political observers say precedent has sharpened speculation this time around over whether the government will again sweeten existing welfare schemes or announce fresh benefits targeting women, the rural poor and marginalised groups, constituencies that form the backbone of the party's electoral strategy.

"The budget before elections is never just about numbers. It is also about signalling priorities and reassuring core voters," a senior political observer said.

The budget session will follow the completion of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with hearings scheduled to conclude on January 31.

The state skipped the winter session of the Assembly, citing lawmakers' preoccupation with the SIR exercise, making the budget session the first sitting of the House in months.

The political context is further complicated by the Union Budget, which will be keenly watched in Bengal for any signals from the BJP-led central government aimed at poll-bound states.

There is particular interest over whether New Delhi will announce steps to clear the state's long-pending dues, an issue the TMC has consistently foregrounded in its confrontations with the Centre.

Senior TMC leaders said the contours of the state's vote on account would also depend on what fiscal space remains after the Union Budget, especially in terms of central transfers and borrowing limits.

"The state's fiscal planning will naturally factor in what the Centre announces or does not announce for Bengal," a senior TMC leader and MLA said.

"The interim budget will have a lot of surprises for people of the state," another TMC leader said.

"The vote on account budget by TMC will be its last, and whatever announcements they make aimed at elections will hardly yield any results," BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said.

As campaigning gears up and parties fine-tune their narratives, the interim budget is expected to serve as more than a routine fiscal exercise. For the ruling TMC, it could be a statement of intent before seeking a renewed mandate; for the opposition, a document to scrutinise for "pre-poll inducements".

For now, with the clock ticking towards February, all eyes are on whether Mamata Banerjee will once again use the budget podium to deliver a politically resonant pitch to the voters. PTI PNT MNB

Interim budget serves as a vote on account expected to propose welfare expansions and hinge on central fiscal support. The interim budget functions as a vote on account ahead of state elections, proposing expenditures and flagship allocations contingent on the incumbent's return; precedents of enhanced welfare spending raise expectations of expanded or new benefits for targeted constituencies. Final budgetary contours will depend on the Union Budget's impact on central transfers, borrowing limits and any settlement of state dues, and follow completion of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties will scrutinise the package for potential pre-poll inducements.