Somnath Chatterjee speaks for himself

23 July, 2008 has been one of the saddest days of my life, when I was informed through the media of the summary expulsion from my membership of the CPI(M) for “seriously compromising the position of the Party”. The expulsion has meant cessation of my long association with the Party for nearly 40 years. I recall the day when soon after my election in 1971 to Lok Sabha as an Independent Candidate with the support of the Party, Com. Pramod Dasgupta, one of the builders of the Party, who was the inspiration for all members, asked me to become a Member, which I could not possibly refuse. Then I felt very happy that I had become a Member of the Party.

I gratefully acknowledge the role of the Party for giving me so many opportunities and onerous responsibilities to discharge, and in that I have received guidance, from the Party and the senior leaders and in particular from our great leader Com. Jyoti Basu, who has always given me unstinted support and encouragement. In the present circumstances, I feel that I owe a duty to the members, supporters of the CPI(M) and to the citizens of the country to inform them as to how the present situation has come about.

After the general election in May 2004 something extraordinary happened, which is now a record in the annals of Lok Sabha. There were 18 nomination papers proposing my name for election as Speaker, filed by the UPA Parties and their allies as also by the main Opposition Party and the NDA constituents, who filed separate nomination papers in favour of my candidature.

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