Somnath left out of whip issued by CPI-M

The exclusion of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is significant as the CPI(M) has so far been maintaining that he should toe the line of the party. Nuke clearWhat rankles the RedsSix men on a missionSpl: Nuclear deal imbroglio

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been left out of the whip issued by CPI-M to its MPs to vote against the Government in the trust vote on July 22.

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The exclusion of Chatterjee is significant as the CPI(M) has so far been maintaining that he should toe the line of the party, which has decided to vote against the government.

A three-line whip was issued to 41 CPI(M) MPs asking them to reach the national capital on July 20 and be present in Lok Sabha on the next two days besides voting against the government.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat while maintaining that it was for the Speaker to take a decision on resigning his post, contended that a person holding this high office does not cease to have political affiliations.

"After someone ceases to be a Speaker, they resume political activities," he said in a newspaper interview giving clear signals that the party expects Chatterjee to step down before the trust vote.