Somnath may decide resigning today

The centre of politics shifted for a while from Delhi to Kolkata on Sunday with Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and the CPM leader and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee held meetings separately with veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu at his residence with different motives. After meeting with the party patriarch, Somnath Chatterjee urged media not to speculate about the Speaker's post. It is being reportedly expected that Mr. Chatterjee may take the final call on continuing or quitting the post on Monday.

“I have not taken decision yet. Whenever I take a decision, I will certainly let you know. I request the media not to enter into speculation about the Speaker's post,” said Mr. Chatterjee after his meeting with Jyoti Basu yesterday.

Chatterjee felt to consult the top notch and speak his heart after being felt pressure the CPM general secretary Prakash Karat was mounting on him to step down as Speaker. The CPM was of the view that since the party had left the Congress-led UPA government, Chatterjee as Speaker had no morale to sit on the post.

Chatterjee reportedly told Basu that after being neutral inside the House, it would be unfair for him to vote against the UPA. He further said, as quoted by the highly placed CPM sources, if he was forced to resign, he would like to quit Lok Sabha as it was not possible for him to sit as a member after having chaired the House.

However, it is not clear what Basu said to Chatterjee, but as per the CPM sources, it is to be understood that former advised the latter to toe the party line to present a united face on the issue. The aggrieved Speaker said his consent was not sought before comprising his name in the list of party MPs attached with a letter of withdrawal of support that was submitted to the President Pratibha Patil on July 8.

However Somnath, as per the sources, is adamant not to step down under pressure from the party as he is of the opinion, and as repeatedly stated earlier, that he is above the party politics. He has not been involved in the party activities for the past four years, so there was no reason for him to resign.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also expressed his views earlier that it was worthless to side with Bhartiya Janata Party on an issue. Voting against the trust vote would naturally mean sided with the BJP. Division on an issue seems to be quite apparent among the comrades.

On the other hand Pranab Mukherjee, after concluding his meeting with Basu, addressing to the reporters said, “As Lok Sabha leader, it was my bounden duty to inform Basu why and under what circumstances co-ordination between the Left and UPA could not be worked out at the end.”

He said Mr. Basu and CPM stalwart Harkishan Singh Surjeet (former general secretary of the CPM) were the chief architects of the UPA-Left coalition that lasted for four years at the Centre. Mukherjee said though we have different political views, but I have highest regard for Mr. Basu for his enormous contribution to national politics.