Thousands of Opposition and Bharatiya Janatha Yuva Morcha protesters filled two war fronts, separated from each other, around the Kerala Assembly on a day when Finance Minister KM Mani is expected to present the 2015-16 state budget.

Mani is scheduled to begin the Budget speech at 9 am. It remains to be seen if he would be allowed to read through the document, or he would make-do with 'tabling' it, which is sufficient to comply with the Constitutional requirement.

The Finance Minister himself had stayed back in the Assembly Complex overnight along with Chief Minister and Cabinet colleagues, who had joined him to in an exercise to ‘express solidarity.’

Early this morning, the Opposition seemed to have finalised its strategy on how to prevent the ‘tainted’ Finance Minister from presenting what would be his 13th state budget, the most by any state Finance Minister.

As the protesters would not be allowed to do it themselves since the entire ruling and opposing fronts had locked themselves up within the secure confines of the Assembly Complex from last evening, a five-member Opposition team would be deputed to block the Finance Minister while he seeks to enter the floor of the Assembly. A group of women legislators would surround the seat of the Finance Minister, if he manages to break through the cordon at the doorway.

Meanwhile, at least 3,000 policemen have been deployed around the Assembly Complex and into the Capital city to keep the surging crowds of protesters at bay.

Additionally, the police have to take care that the Leftist protesters do not come face to face with arch political rivals Yuva Morcha, offshoot of the BJP which does not have a presence in the State Assembly.

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