CPM's Tanmoy Bhattacharya's decision to join the Congress rally was appreciated by party state chief Adhir Chowdhury.
Tanmoy Bhattacharya, a first time CPM legislator from Bengal on Saturday joined a protest on price rise called by the Congress, defying the stance of party's top decision-making body which has called for a 'rectification' of the state alliance.
"Those Congress supporters who have cast their vote in my favour - and one of them is here at the rally - knows my party's tactical line but he voted for me. He fought for me. His house was attacked.
Do I have a right to betray him? I don't think so," Mr Bhattacharya said as he walked Congress members in Kolkata.
The Congress march against price rise was announced weeks ago, CPM was invited to join. But after being pulled up by the Central Committee in Delhi last week, party's Bengal unit chief Surya Kanta Mishra made excuses to stay away.
Previous engagements, travel plans apart, Mr Mishra said the Left and the Congress differed on economic policies. So they could fight against Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool together, but not on economic issues.
And yet, Mr Bhattacharya went to the Congress rally, much to the delight of state chief Adhir Chowdhury who dismissed any "Lexit" - the exit of the Left from the Congress union.
"The Left has not left us. There may be some leaders who are saying different things, have different opinions. But the combination was the result of a people's alliance at the grassroots. So it existed, is existing and will exist," said an emphatic Mr Chowdhury.
But the solo act by Mr Bhattacharya is sure to stir up the ongoing turmoil in the CPM. Its central committee has criticized its Bengal unit's links with Congress and said it must "rectify".
But Mr Bhattacharya said that his act was not a revolt. "Why should I revolt? I believe in my party ideology and I will obey the party decision," he said.
Sujan Chakraborty another CPM legislator has said that he will ask Mr Bhattacharya what prompted him to go for the rally. Left Front partner, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), has taken note of the incident and will discuss at its party.
Left partners have been giving the CPM a hard time. Now, from its own ranks, there are reports of resignations by some to protest the Congress alliance, by others, to protest a possible break up. The rectification meeting is expected to be held on 10th July in the presence of central leaders.