Is Somnath right or wrong? Central body to assess today

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The CPI(M) central committee, in its two-day meeting to begin here on Saturday, will assess whether Somnath Chatterjee’s decision to continue as the Lok Sabha Speaker was right. The meeting, essentially to chalk out strategies for the next general elections, will also discuss the dissidence issue in its West Bengal unit and is likely to use its iron fist to suppress the ‘‘trouble-makers’’ there.

‘‘We had said that the Speaker will decide for himself on the question (of resignation) taking into account the current political situation. Now it is for the central committee to decide whether he has acted as per the general understanding of the party,’’ a senior CPI(M) leader told FE. CPI(M) leaders in Delhi were of the opinion that Chatterjee has well crossed the party limits on the issue.

Given the general mood against Chatterjee in the party, it is apparent that the voices that may lend a support to Chatterjee will be very feeble. ‘‘He is a senior member who led the party in Parliament for more than fourty years. No body expected such a behaviour from him,’’ a central committee member from Kerala said.

However, the central committee is not likely to suggest any disciplinary action against the Speaker before July 22, the date of voting on the motion of confidence. The committee may also tell the West Bengal state committee to ‘‘control’’ its secretariat member Subhas Chakrabarty. Basu’s absence in the meeting will definitely affect the fortunes of both Chatterjee and Chakrabarty.