Rahul Gandhi likely to be first Congress speaker in Lok Sabha debate on budget

New Delhi, Feb 09: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to be the first speaker from the Congress in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

"We had given Shashi Tharoor's name as the first speaker. But it can change," said party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The budget on debate is likely to take place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to motion of thanks to President's address.

The Congress MP from Wayanad in Kerala has been attacking the central government on various issues, ranging from the standoff on Line of Actual Control (LAC) to Union Budget.

Gandhi accused the Centre of reducing the pension of soldiers in the budget and ignoring the farmers and youth of the nation.

"Mr Modi's 'Vikas'- PSUs to be shrunk to one-tenth. Country's loss, crony's gain," Gandhi had said on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Modi's crony centric budget means- Jawans facing Chinese aggression in extreme conditions will get no support. India's defenders betrayed," Gandhi said in one of his recent tweets after the budget.