'Somnath to decide his future as Speaker'

Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), said he will decide for himself and will take a decision.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will decide for himself his future following the Left's withdrawal of support to the government, Marxist leader Prakash Karat said on Wednesday.

HT Image

Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), told a news conference: “He will decide for himself and will take a decision.”

Talking to a TV channel earlier, Chatterjee said: “Leave it to me, I am still the speaker.”

Chatterjee became the speaker of the Lok Sabha as the part of an understanding between the Left and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after the 2004 parliamentary elections.

The four Left parties on Wednesday submitted a letter to President Pratibha Patil withdrawing their four-year backing to the government.