After stridently opposing ruling Trinamul Congress on various issues and legislations in successive Assembly sessions, the combined Opposition of Congress and Left are going to extend a helping hand to the TMC in the forthcoming session.

The traction will be for Centre’s refusal to pay the state it’s dues on GST on which the Opposition has decided to join the dissenting voices of Treasury benches.

Both leaders of the Opposition in the Assembly, Abdul Mannan of Congress and Sujan Chakraborty of Left Front has decided that support will be extended to the ruling party on this issue if solicited. The state government is facing a major fund crunch after the BJP-led central government expressed its inability to give the states it’s share of the GST.

The stance of Congress Legislative Party comes after party’s interim chief Sonia Gandhi voiced her concern over the states being denied their share of GST as there are several Congress-run states in this list. The CLP leader, however made it clear that come 9 September when the session starts, its members will also zero in on the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the distribution of relief materials to the people ravaged by Amphan.

State minister for parlianentary affairs, Tapas Roy welcomed the support from the Opposition. The Opposition leaders in the Assembly have written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee seeking discussion on the issues of the Centre depriving the states in financial matters, tackling the coronavirus, plight of the migratory workers and price rise.

A three-week session instead of a short one which is scheduled to be held has also been demanded by the Opposition. The time being sought is for a discussion of the shortcomings of the state government as well as its justifiable demands by the Opposition.

‘Modinomics has failed’

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Monday slammed the Centre for the negative GDP growth and said “Modinomics” has fallen flat and “jingoism cannot be a remedy to revive the economy”.

Chowdhury, who is a member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) as well, suggested that Modi should “listen patiently to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revive the economy”.

“Modi govt has eminently proved itself as a govt which has been infected by political as well as economic bankruptcy. While China is registering a growth of 3.8 per cent of its economy, India has contracted by 23.9%,” he tweeted.