Left sees red after trust vote defeat, expels Speaker from party
Somnath Chatterjee, the speaker of the Lok Sabha or India's lower house of parliament has been expelled by his party CPI(M) for defying the party's diktat.
Ever since the Left parties decided to withdraw their support to the Congress party-led coalition government, citing political differences over the India-US nuclear deal, the communist party leaders have been demanding that the veteran politician also quit his office as the Speaker.
Though Chatterjee was unanimously elected for the office of the Speaker, yet, as was elected to the parliament on the party's ticket, the senior CPI(M) leaders saw it fit that he step down.
However, Chatterjee turned a deaf ear to the party's demands, saying the post of the Speaker was above party politics and the Speaker "does not represent any political party in the discharge of his duties and functions," and, in a clear rebuff to the party, he continued to carry on his duties as the Speaker and presided over the confidence motion that resulted in the coalition government's victory.
Smarting from their defeat, the Left leaders vented their ire immediately on Chatterjee, expelling him from the CPI(M).
"The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) has unanimously decided to expel Somnath Chatterjee from the membership of the party with immediate effect," a statement issued after a Polit Bureau meeting chaired by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, that discussed his defiance, said.
The meeting was attended by party general secretary Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, M.K. Pandhe, S.R. Pillai and Brinda Karat.
The communist party said it was summarily expelling him under Article 19(13) of its constitution for "seriously compromising" the party position.
CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary and Politburo member Biman Bose, who had urged Chatterjee to quit before the trust vote said he had "violated party discipline."
"He (Chatterjee) may abide by the country's Constitution but the party has its own Constitution with which he has to abide. We have to abide by party rules. He did not relinquish the Speaker's post despite the party's directive. He had breached party discipline. The party will sever all connections with those who do not follow party diktats," he said.
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