CPM leaders’ meet to discuss defiance

The CPI(M)’s Central Committee is likely to criticise Somnath Chatterjee for making his resignation from the Speaker’s post a personal decision not bound by the party’s line on voting against the UPA trust vote on July 22.

The party’s top leadership will, however, press the CC, meeting here this weekend, to endorse the CPI(M)’s official view that the issue of Chatterjee’s resignation is best left to him.

If there were reports on Thursday that Chatterjee was toning down his confrontationist stand, Friday saw signals from the CPI(M)’s leadership that it would like to move away from the issue of taking disciplinary action against him and desist from fuelling the controversy. The CPI(M) has, therefore, not included Chatterjee's name in its whip for the trust vote.

The issue of not taking action against him, however, will not be settled so easily, another party leader said. “The CC is a large body with members from all over the country. How can it be said what the CC will decide on the Speaker’s issue till it meets and discusses the issue?” a member of the committee asked. The CC is the the party’s highest decision making body between two party congresses.

Kerala CM V.S. Achuthanandan, who met party general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday, is said to have apprised him of the mood in the Kerala unit on the issue. Sources said there is anger in several quarters at Chatterjee for embarrassing the CPI(M).

Another leader said the CC will discuss preparations for the Lok Sabha polls – an indication that the CPI(M) is expecting the UPA to fall.