Bangalore: The Congress, the main Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, has decided against attacking Speaker Krishna and instead take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) combine head on.

The party is now saying that the coalition partners are making use of the Speaker to further their own ends and that the latter is playing into their hands.

Mr. Krishna belongs to the Janata Dal (Secular).

A meeting of Congress leaders and also some of the Opposition members of the State Assembly to decide on the steps to be taken to be check the "partisan" attitude of the Speaker, which was to be held here on Sunday, did not take place.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N. Dharam Singh had convened the meeting. Instead, it has now been decided to take a decision on the role of the Speaker at an informal meeting to be held on Monday. The two Houses of the Legislature are meeting here on that day.

The Opposition had protested against the action of the Chair in allowing the Karnataka Appropriation Bill to be adopted without a discussion in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Discontent against the Speaker is simmering since he sprang a surprise in the last week of January by recognising the group of Janata Dal (S) MLAs led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy as the official group even as the Government led by Mr. Dharam Singh had sought to seek a vote of confidence.

The Congress leaders had also considered complaining to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi against the Speaker.

It is now being realised that it would be futile to attack the Speaker as he is only going by the views of the Government.

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