A day before the budget plan was to be tabled in Kerala Assembly, Finance Minister KM Mani has decided to sleep over in the legislative assembly itself.

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Opposition LDF had made it clear that all roads leading to the Assembly would be blocked. Reportedly, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy suggested that Mani spends the night at the assembly itself so that the budget is presented as scheduled on Friday.

Approximately, 14 members of the finance ministry will also stay with KM Mani. Reportedly Room no. 610 in the Assembly complex has been readied for them.

The CPI-M-led Left opposition has been up in arms against Mani after a whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh claimed last year that Mani took a bribe of Rs 1 crore to reopen the closed down bars in the state. After a case was registered against Mani, the Left front has been demanding that he step down.

 LDF claimed that thousands of volunteers would take part in the "protest resistance" to be staged outside the Assembly complex. Aggravating the situation, BJP's youth wing Yuva Morcha has also announced plans to stage dharna before the Assembly.

But, Chandy had confirmed that KM Mani will be presenting the budget on Friday under any circumstances. Reacting to Chandy's stand, CPI(M) veteran and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said the government would have to face consequences if it let "tainted" Mani present the budget and Chandy alone would be responsible for that.

Reports say that about 2000 policemen have been deployed for Friday to monitor the blockade.

Intervening in the debate in the Assembly, 82-year-old Mani trashed the opposition charges and said his 50-year-long public life was transparent. "All these allegations are baseless and purposefully aimed to tarnish my image," an emotional Mani said.

(With agency inputs)