Crack in the Congress-Left Front alliance?

KOLKATA: The Congress-Left Front alliance in the West Bengal Assembly suffered a jolt today with the Congress deciding to boycott the rest of the budget session, but the Left combine opposed it.

The Congress Legislature party decided to boycott the budget session to protest against the assault on Leader of Opposition, belonging to Congress, Abdul Mannan in the Assembly last week leading to his hospitalisation.

"Why would we attend the House when we are not safe inside it? We will continue our protests outside the Assembly," Deputy leader of Congress legislature party Nepal Mahato said.

Left Front Legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty argued that they would attend the House in order not to allow the ruling party to get a walkover during discussion on the budget.

"We will attend the House as we don't want to give walkover to the ruling benches," Chakraborty said.

The Congress would also organise a march to the Assembly in protest against the "partial attitude" of Speaker Biman Banerjee.

The Congress and the Left MLAs today met Governor K N Tripathi and complained against the assault on Abdul Mannan.

Mannan last week was hospitalised after he had been evicted by the Marshall from the House following uproarious scenes leading to a scuffle between Congress MLAs and the security staff.