CPI-M expels Somnath Chatterjee from party

Sourced from www.ibnlive.com

Lok Sabha Speaker and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee has been expelled from his party.

The CPI-M expelled Chatterjee on Wednesdayfrom the primary membership of the party, a post that he has been in, for almost half a century. for violating party discipline

Chatterjee had been under intense pressure from the CPI-M to resign as the Lok Sabha Speaker after the party withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and even listed him as among the party Members of Parliament (MPs) when its submitted the withdrawal letter to President Pratibha Patil.

Former Attorney General and noted jurist Soli Sorabjee clarified that despite his expulsion Chatterjee still remained the Speaker.

"The Speaker was elected by the House, he was not elected as a nominee of any particular political party. His expulsion from the party has nothing to do with his continuation as the Speaker. He can be removed only if he wants to resign himself or has to be voted out," Sorabjee said.

The CPI-M wanted him to toe the party line, but he insisted on remaining in the post of the Speaker, maintaining that he was above party politics.

CPI-M General Secretary, Prakash Karat had earlier said that the Politburo had been directed by the party's Central Committee to decide on what would be the appropriate action against the Speaker.

Lately, there had been reports that he planned to resign after conducting the confidence motion. However, Chatterjee on Tuesday evening kept on the suspense over whether he would quit or not by saying that he would "decide when the time comes".