Second reading of 2026 Budget passed with majority in Parliament

Saturday, 15 November 2025 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Four Opposition MPs support, eight abstentions
TPA MP Mano Ganeshan reasons out for voting in favour
ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam says party chose abstention as a gesture of goodwill, trusting President

The second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the financial year 2026 was passed in Parliament yesterday with a majority of 118 votes. The vote saw 160 MPs supporting the Bill, 42 voting against it and eight abstentions.

Notably, four Opposition MPs, including the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan, along with Palani Thigambaram, Jeevan Thondaman, and V. Radhakrishnan voted in favour of the second reading. Explaining the TPA’s support, Ganesan said it was based on confidence in the President’s commitment to implement a daily wage of Rs. 1,750 for plantation workers.

He added that the wage increase should be applied uniformly across all three State-run plantation companies, the 22 Regional Plantation Companies and smallholder estates in 12 districts.

Ganesan pointed out that the TPA is not focused on scrutinising the internal cost calculations behind the proposed wage, stressing that ensuring payment is an operational responsibility of the Government.

Separately, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) abstained from voting on the second reading of Budget 2026.

MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told Parliament that while ITAK had initially planned to vote against the Budget over unaddressed Tamil community concerns, the party chose abstention as a gesture of goodwill, trusting that the President will engage with them in upcoming discussions on political, land and accountability issues, and consider Tamil aspirations in a new constitution.

MP Shanakiyan stressed that the abstention signals ITAK’s willingness to continue working constructively with the Government.

On 7 November, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Finance Minister, presented the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill. Parliamentary debate on the Bill continued over six days from 8 till yesterday.

The Committee Stage debate is scheduled to run for 17 days from 15 November to 5 December, with the Third Reading vote set for 5 December at 6:00 p.m.