Raipur, Aug 29 (IANS) Thirty-seven legislators of the opposition Congress in Chhatisgarh and one from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were suspended on the first day of the state assembly's monsoon session Monday for storming the well of the house.

Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik took the decision when the members ignored his repeated appeals to maintain claim and rushed towards his podium protesting against a shortage of fertilizers in the state this kharif season.

The suspension was for a day and the members are free to attend the rest of the session ending Sep 9.

Opposition leader Ravindra Choubey led the charge against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and said: "Farmers have been forced to buy fertilizer at a price two to three times higher... it is in the grip of black-marketers."

Trouble began when Congress members, joined by the BSP member, insisted on an adjournment motion that the speaker turned down.

The BJP has 49 members in the 90-member house, the Congress 39 and the BSP two.