Party’s over: CPM expels Somnath

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Putin calls Deora a ‘genius’ negotiatorN-deal not to solve energy problems readily: KalamN-deal not to solve energy problems readily: KalamN-deal not to solve energy problems readily: Kalam

Bringing the controversy over the issue of resignation of Lok Sabha Speaker to a boil, the CPI(M) politbureau on Wednesday finally cracked the whip, expelling veteran leader Somnath Chatterjee from the party for defying the party dictat on the trust vote.

Chatterjee and the CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat were on a collision course after the Lok Sabha Speaker refused to step down from his post in the wake of Left parties’ withdrawal of support to the UPA government.

Chatterjee, whose association with the CPI(M) goes back over four decades and holds a primary membership of the party’s West Bengal state committee, was thrown out by invoking a rarely used clause of the party constitution which says in exceptional circumstances, party committees in their discretion may resort to summary procedure in expelling members for grave anti-party activities.

A statement by the CPI(M) politburo said Chatterjee was being expelled with immediate effect for ‘‘seriously compromising’’ the position of the party.

Chatterjee, however, refused to comment on the development nor did he give any indication that he was going to step down from his post in the wake of his expulsion from the CPI(M). The constitutional position is that Chatterjee does not need to resign and can continue in his post. There were, however, two views as to what the Speaker would ultimately do. A senior party member contended that as the CPI(M) took a public position against the UPA government and withdrew its support to the Centre, as a party member it was the duty of Chatterjee to step down from the post. The 79-year old barrister and ten-time MP, however, rejected both subtle and explicit hints from the party leadership, which asked him to quit the post to which he was elected unanimously after the 2004 elections, saying he was above party politics given his post.

Differences between the Speaker and the CPI(M) general secretary had stepped up after the party reportedly refused to propose his name for either the presidentship or for the post of Vice-President. ‘‘Chatterjee believed that his party would consider him at least for the post of Vice-President,’’ a close acquaintance of the Speaker told FE.