Janakpur, July 9 -- The Madhes Provincial Assembly remained paralysed for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, as opposition parties continued to obstruct proceedings in protest against the provincial budget, which they allege is heavily influenced by middlemen.

Speaker Ramchandra Mandal adjourned the assembly until 1 pm Thursday after opposition lawmakers disrupted the session. Despite being scheduled for 1 pm, Wednesday's sitting could not begin until nearly 3:45 pm.

Even then, the meeting lasted only four minutes before the speaker called for another postponement.

Ram Ashish Yadav, chief whip of the Janata Samajbadi Party, remarked that the absence of ruling party lawmakers from the assembly indicated dissatisfaction within the ...