CHENNAI: The customary session of the Legislative Assembly, the first in 2026, has been tentatively scheduled between January 19 and 24, said sources.

Though a ritualistic routine held every year, there is heightened interest over the session this year, particularly against the backdrop of Governor RN Ravi skipping portions of the address prepared by the State government in the last two years.

“As of now, it has been decided that the customary session will commence on January 19 and conclude on January 24. Speaker M Appavu will formally invite the Governor to deliver the customary address. However, we don’t know what the Governor’s response will be,” an Assembly official told DT Next.

The Assembly meets at the beginning of every calendar year, commencing the proceedings with the Governor’s address. In 2024, Governor Ravi omitted certain portions of the speech prepared by the government.

However, Speaker Appavu later read out the Tamil version of the speech in full, which was later adopted through a resolution and became the official version of the proceedings.

A similar situation unfolded during the session in 2025 when the Governor skipped the entire address and walked out of the House. After the session concluded, he invited all political leaders to attend Pongal celebrations at Raj Bhavan. However, Stalin and his entire cabinet, and elected representatives of the DMK-led alliance, boycotted the event.

This time, with a crucial Assembly election just around the corner, all eyes are on how the session will unfold, especially how Governor Ravi will handle his address.