“Delhi is not in favor of such demand,” the CM told the Assembly while debating a motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Partho Chatterjee. “I can tell you, according to the discussion held between the state government and Delhi, they (Union government) are not considering such proposals,” Bhattacharjee said.

While the Trinamool and its chief Mamata Banerjee have been pressing for Central intervention, the Congress too joined the chorus today, with its legislative party leader Manas Bhuniya backing the imposition of Article 355. “Article 355 should be imposed. If the state government can invite Central forces to tackle the Maoist problem, why should it not allow the Centre to intervene to stop violence? You should agree with the proposal that 355 can be imposed,” Bhuniya told the CM, who reacted sharply.

“Neither the Centre nor the state government thinks Article 355 can be used in the state. If you feel so, you can talk to Delhi,” Bhattacharjee told Bhuniya.

The motion was moved by Chatterjee to highlight the Left Front government’s alleged failures in maintaining law and order in the state. The chief minister is the “prime accused for current bloodshed in the state. People want you to go,” Chatterjee said.

The CM responded in kind, accusing the Trinamool of fanning violence and then blaming the government for failing to maintaining law and order. “You have contested recent election in Kalchini along with the GJM, the group which wants to separate from Bengal,” Bhattacharjee said.

The chief minister once again urged the Trinamool to take part in all-party meetings to bring back normalcy. Chatterjee, however, skipped the issue in his reply.

Meanwhile, it was uncomfortable both for Trinamool and the Congress to raise the Habra incident, where a worker each form both sides were killed by some miscreants. Allegations are doing the rounds that the killings resulted from infighting between the allies.