Yes, his relationship with the party has been quite loose. Chatterjee was the able lawyer who could command authority in the Lok Sabha. The party needed him and used him accordingly. They couldn’t afford to lose him. So when Chatterjee suffered a humiliating defeat to Mamata Banerjee in 1984, he was nominated without delay from Bolpur. After the death of Jyotirmoy Bose, he became almost indispensable. For the next 15 years, till he became Speaker, Chatterjee was the only CPM MP who could dictate terms when he rose to make a point. He was the party’s face in Parliament.

So, it would be extremely unfair for the CPM to claim that they had created Somnath Chatterjee. Chatterjee’s rise had a lot to do with his oratorical talent, his legal acumen, his booming voice and his towering presence. By refusing to be an ordinary foot-soldier of the party, Chatterjee has now raised a question which the CPM hates addressing. Can a twenty-first century party be run by enforcing a form of discipline that smacks of Cold War sensibilities? The CPM has not been receiving the support of the new middle class because it demands complete surrender, subjugation of a nature that takes away the right to use one’s intellect.

Not just that: Chatterjee’s defiance has also raised eyebrows over the CPM’s attitude to Indian constitutional institutions. From September 2007, the CPM has amply demonstrated that it is not common sense but ideology which helps them judge the national interest. By including the name of Chatterjee in the list of MPs who would vote against the nuclear deal, the party has undermined the constitution and questioned the Speaker’s impartial role. This expulsion and the preceding embarrassment could have been avoided if the leadership in Delhi was prudent and was not itching for a fight.

... contd.