UPA's Survival On 22nd July? And Aftermath -2

[acharya]

<b>
BJP demands Manmohan's resignation</b>

New Delhi (PTI): BJP president Rajnath Singh has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following allegations by three of his party MPs that they were offered money by a Samajwadi Party leader to abstain from voting.

"After this incident the PM has no right to continue in the chair, he should resign," Singh said referring to the incident in which a BJP MP displayed wads of notes before the Lok Sabha claiming that it was offered by an SP leader to abstain himself from voting.

BJP has been saying that Congress and its allies have been pressuring its MPs to either vote for the UPA government or abstain from voting, Singh said.

"This is shameful and unfortunate in the history of the Parliament. This has happened for the first time in the history of Independent India. Congress has sullied the image of the country in the world with this act," said Singh.

[acharya]

<b>
BJP takes exception to U.S. statement on n-deal</b>

Interference in the functioning of the country, says senior leader Jaswant Singh

New Delhi: Taking strong exception to a statement by the U.S. that it will not have any problem in moving forward on the nuclear deal with a minority government in India, the BJP on Tuesday said it was an “interference” in the functioning of the country.

Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh said he was “surprised” at the remarks made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher that they did not consider it a moral issue to deal with a minority government. Mr. Boucher’s statement came when the Indian Parliament was discussing and debating the matter, he said.

“It is without any doubt that it is totally an interference in the functioning of the country and its Parliament,” Mr. Singh told Times Now news channel.

Noting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured on the floor of the House that the government would not move ahead on the deal without Parliament’s approval, Mr. Jaswant Singh said it “underscored” the concerns raised by the BJP that the country’s foreign and security policies were “deeply compromised.”

Mr. Boucher on Monday had said in Washington that the Bush administration would have no problem in dealing with a minority government as “minority governments are common around the world.”

“You can’t say, oh, well, we are going to stop dealing with you till the next election or until some new coalition or something. That’s not for us to say,” Mr. Boucher had said. — PTI

[acharya]

Here are the cross votes
<b>
Congress floor managers claim double victory</b>

New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: The Congress floor managers claimed a double victory of sorts in the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday – not only had they kept their own flock together, but it was clear from the votes cast that the principal opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, was not able to convince even its own MPs to vote against the Manmohan Singh government.

The Congress loss was confined to Haryana MP Kuldip Bishnoi, rebel and son of the former Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal.

Surprisingly, BJP MPs from Karnataka appeared to be the most dissatisfied with their party. There were three who voted for the motion or abstained in direct violation of the whip issued by the party. These were H.T. Sangliana, Manorama Madhavraj and Manjunath Kunnur. Another Karnataka member, who switched sides, was Shivanna from Janata Dal (Secular).

The cross-voting by two more BJP MPs – Somabhai Patel from Gujarat and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Uttar Pradesh – came as no surprise because they had publicly announced their intention beforehand. Babubhai Katara, presently facing charges of human trafficking, was one of the MPs who abstained. The names of some more BJP MPs, as among those who defied the party whip, were doing the rounds.. But while party leaders remained tight-lipped, officials said details of the voting would be known only on Wednesday.

The Telugu Desam Party also failed to keep its small flock of five MPs together, although chief N. Chandrababu Naidu was present in Parliament House almost throughout the day. Two MPs — Dr. M. Jagannathan and Adikesavulu Naidu — defied the whip.

The Biju Janata Dal and the Akali Dal also had their share of casualties – BJD MP Harihar Swain and Sukhdev Singh Libra of SAD did not follow their party directive to vote against the motion.

[acharya]

Trust vote

It was delightful to watch the proceedings of the Lok Sabha on Monday and Tuesday, convened to vote on the confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. All the MPs gathered to debate the confidence motion and the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. What made the occasion special was the high attendance and eagerness of parties to comment on the UPA government’s performance. One hopes such attitude prevails during regular Parliament sessions too.

Ashwani Sharma,

Ghaziabad

* * *

At the end of the day, the UPA government won the confidence vote. But it is bound to lose the trust of the nation and its people. The use of unethical means — getting jailed MPs bail to vote, barters, tradeoffs, defections, horse-trading and what not — touched an all-time low. Dr. Singh proved to be a good modern-day politician. As an individual, he is a man of integrity but as a politician he is no different from others of his clan.

Ushadevi Suddapalli & S.B. Rao,

Muscat

* * *

Dr. Singh the economist failed as he has done nothing to control the galloping inflation. As a politician, he brought a bad name not only to himself but also to his party by striking unholy alliances in the run-up to the trust vote. What a precipitous fall!

K. Vijayakumar,

Bangalore

* * *

Even though the UPA government is a winner for now, it would do well to realise that the same issue — the nuclear deal — will bring it down in the next Lok Sabha election. MPs can be lured but not a billion people. At last, New Delhi has lost its independence to Washington’s supremacy. The true winner is the USA, not the UPA.

V. Siva Anantha Krishnan,

Tirunelveli

* * *

The tug of war between the political parties to win/defeat the confidence vote exposed the mockery that is Indian politics. Throwing values to the winds, parties reduced the political process into an auction where votes were sold to the highest bidder.

It would have been better if the Speaker had tossed a coin and declared the ‘winners.’

N. Sachi Chander,

Chennai

* * *

The Congress, which clearly knew that it was in a minority in Parliament, went ahead with the nuclear deal and then tried to formalise it with the help of parties that had their eyes only on money and power. The outrageous bargain for each vote has weakened democracy.

C.K. Rahul,

Hyderabad Isn

* * *

’t it ironical that most of our political parties have tunnel visions and cannot see beyond their self-interest? The BJP would have never stopped boasting had it been instrumental in signing the historic nuclear deal but opposed it in Parliament for the sake of opposition. When Chandrababu Naidu was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, he never gave the impression that he was against U.S. imperialism. Yet as an opposition leader, he talked of American hegemony and how the deal was against national interests. Mayawati opposed the deal not because she had any credible arguments against it, but because she could not see the SP aligning with the ruling party. The Left parties opposed it because of their hatred for the U.S. although, to be fair to them, they were consistent in their opposition. Seeing the theatre of the absurd played on Tuesday, the aam aadmi could only say “O tempora! O mores!”

Ramani P. Easwaran,

Bangalore

* * *

The happenings on the eve of the confidence vote made us wonder whether any sanctity is associated with the parliamentary process. An event which could change the fate of our country became a hot cake and the subject of breaking news for television channels. The primary issue — nuclear deal — took a backseat. Reports of horse-trading, backstabbing, etc., made a mockery of our democracy which is the largest and still surviving.

V. Harine,

Chennai

* * *

It is a pity that even strategic defence deals and foreign policy issues were reduced to the level of street politics. Close friends who described themselves as natural allies became enemies and parties that wanted to finish off one another became close friends overnight. Dr. Singh might have made it in the trust vote but in the process, the nation’s reputation has gone down. One should not be surprised if the present political alignments change drastically before the next Lok Sabha election.

Karavadi Raghava Rao,

Vijayawada

* * *

>Watching the Lok Sabha proceedings, it struck me that the focus of many politicians was not the nuclear deal at all. Their allegations, tone and tenor, gesticulations, animated faces, and loud clapping … all these made for recreation. Then there was the spectre of the Speaker pleading with the members to observe decorum. With all this happening in the House, we could only hope and pray that the MPs would take the right decision on an issue having a far-reaching impact on the people who reposed faith in them.

Manan Rathore,

Jaipur

One group of politicians supported the nuclear deal and another opposed it and both groups claimed they were patriotic and what they said was in the national interest. Who was speaking the truth? For the common people, the trust vote was a futile exercise. They stood as mute spectators as a handful of politicians decided whether there would be another election or the UPA government would continue.

S. Sundaresh,

Bangalore

Many MPs and smaller parties hardly knew the details of the nuclear deal. They were only keen on making hay while the sun shone.

C. Sunish,

Bangalore The ruling parties claimed the nuclear deal was in the interest of the people. But do they know what the people really think about it? The government failed to feel the pulse of the nation before proceeding with the deal. Many politicians said during the debate in the Lok Sabha that they had not read the text of the deal. How, then, did they decide to have a say in the nation’s future?

S. Regis,

Chennai

[shamu]

Sangliana, I believe, is a christian police officer infiltrated in BJP and was doing actuvities harmful for Hindus. Good that that scum is now out.

[acharya]

Shameful
<b>
The display of wads of currency in Parliament by BJP MPs, who claimed they were offered money to abstain, was a shame on the entire nation. </b>The common man who sends his representative to Parliament with the hope that his voice will be heard there will rue the day. That the confidence vote was marred by allegations of horse-trading was indeed shameful.

R. Suresh,

Sahibabad

* * *
<b>
We all knew that intense dealing was on to save or bring down the UPA government. But no one thought currency notes would make their way into Parliament. In the last week, support from non-descript political parties and independent candidates suddenly became crucial.</b>

Allegations of horse-trading were traded between both sides. MPs who were lodged in various jails were released to participate in the vote of confidence. These are our modern-day Bharat Bhagya Vidhatas because it is they who decide our destiny.

Raunaq Rathore,

Noida

* * *

That our politicians are purchasable is a well-known fact. The BJP must confess what transpired in Karnataka to secure the support of Independent MLAs. The BJP is no better than the Congress. Tuesday’s incident is not shocking as people know that parties do anything and everything for survival.

V.P. Ramesan,

Tripunithura

* * *
<b>
It is unfortunate that L.K. Advani allowed the display of cash in Parliament.</b> He ought to have met the Speaker in his chamber and given a complaint in writing. Instead, he opted for the show which brought down the image of the country.

S. Pushpavanam,

Tiruchi

* * *

While it is claimed that the money was paid in the past three or four days, it was exhibited in the House just before the confidence vote. It is a clear indicator of the mala fide intentions of the MPs and their leaders.

A. Sarthar,

Udayarpalayam

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-ramana+Jul 23 2008, 08:37 AM-->QUOTE(ramana @ Jul 23 2008, 08:37 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->INC
[right][snapback]84905[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

when did that party change its name from Congress(I) to INC?

[dhu]

SP to give breach of privilege notice against BJP MPs

[Guest]

The day after:

CPI-M expels Somnath Chatterjee

BJP, BJD, TDP expel errant MPs, others to follow suit

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->iju Janata Dal, a constituent in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, expelled Harihar Swain dubbing him as a "betrayer" while Telugu Desam Party MP M Jagannatham also faced similar action for defying party whip.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam sources said in Chennai that the party will be seeking the disqualification of two of its MPS -- L Ganesan and Gingee Ramachandran -- for voting for the government.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Sensex soars 838 points and of course Reliance led the pack.

[Guest]

Time's reports: <b>Cash-on-table a first in Lok Sabha history</b>
This is false. Don't these people do their homework?

<b>This is not the first time of cash display in Parliament</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The dramatic scenes of a BJP MP bringing in bundles of currency in the Lok Sabha alleging bribery brought back memories of similar incident in the mid-80s when an AIADMK MP opened a suitcase with Rs two lakh in the House.

R Soundarajan shocked the House when he alleged that he was offered the money to change sides in the wake of split in the party after the death of MGR. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[ramana]

So what happened to R. Soundarajan for bringing in the cash?
The more worrying is what were the guards did they check the bags and let them in? What if a MP is bought by terrorists and takes out the lot? Is there no bag check for entry into Lok Sabha?

[ramana]

My question about small parties is it is these that are at the forefront of this cash/privileges for votes deals. While everyone bemoans the 'corruption' the majority of the large parties stood by their party whips which is good thing. So some sort of a way to have these small parties not be there at national level has to be taken to keep this type of nakras out.

My take is that a party can contest for national elections if it puts up candidates in atleast two of the other states(can be adjacent) and gets 5% of the votes polled. This will curb parochialism of the SS type for they have to gain some support in other states. Right now states reorganization of 1956 has brought back the political situation similar to that existed before the inavasions - a sort of "Heptarchy" south and north of the Vindhyas. One can see the situation is similar to China's Warring states period or that before the Muslim invasions of Deccan that were stemmed by Vijayanagar. True there wont be similar invasion but lends itself to outsiders influenceing the national psyche. Modernity has removed the beneficient and powerful control of a strong center. Its now extortion by regional and small parties that is the norm of the day!

The inability of the national parties to obtain decisive majorities is leading to the the Indian body politic being subjected to extortion when simple corruption was enough! Sort of like when Robert Clive was in Bengal.

So either national parties learn to take local issues and win or small/regional parties have to develop a national prespective.

Another controversial suggestion should be by Presidential favor- Only coaltions that are formed before the elections should be chosen when no single party gets a majority. This will avoid the natak of the Left kind of charade of outside support. Otherwise the Prseident has to have plenipotentiary powers to ensure that support is for full term and cannot be pulled at conveinence. But then this requires a law or Amendment.

[acharya]

The analysis of cross-voting indicated that 6 SP MPs switched to BSP and 1 Congress MPs switched over to the BJP.

These cross-voting started 10 days ago with Mayawati and BJP parading their defectors. BJP tried poaching more Congress MPs like Jalappa, whose son is already a BJP MLA in Karnataka. Congress was supposed to lose as many as 4 MPs to the BJP and the SP was being targeted by UNPA for a vertical split. Meanwhile Mayawati-Karat poached JDS and RLD who together had another 6 MPS from the UPA. These defectors were also paraded in news channels.

The best form of defense was offense and the UPA-SP retaliated in kind to not only stem the tide but to put both the UNPA and NDA on the defensive.

So Mayawati, Karat and Advani maybe crying crocidile tears now. They have been beaten in their own game. Losers

[Guest]

Ramana,<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->What if a MP is bought by terrorists and takes out the lot? Is there no bag check for entry into Lok Sabha? <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> If you read the entire article in my post #384, it was then MP Madhu Dandavate who sneaked in a pistol in Parliament to drive home the point.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> R. Soundarajan for bringing in the cash?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->No idea.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> question about small parties is it is these that are at the forefront of this cash/privileges for votes deals. ....

Another controversial suggestion should be by Presidential favor- Only
..<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All these pertain to changing rules of the game and it's not possible. It's like telling the fox guarding the chicken coop to go veggie. This episode and some others in past (installing Prathiba last year, creating UPA in '04 etc) clearly shows that Congress is the only party that mastered the game and they will play for the keeps taking no prisoners.
ABV's the only person in Indian history to have lost the confidence vote twice - and once with one vote. One would have thought that these guys had learnt tricks of the trade and not underestimated the opposition. Either they are not up to it or they have some brilliant reverse Chanakyniti going on. Time will tell.

[acharya]

It was no victory
<b>
The Indo-U.S. nuclear deal was never an issue of the people. Scientists hold conflicting views on the subject while many of our MPs do not even understand the nuances of the highly technical issue. Yet the issue drove the UPA government to seek a trust vote and it won it on Tuesday. </b>Parliament might have spoken but the people, who are languishing thanks to the soaring prices of every commodity they consume, have not.
<b>
It was highly unethical on the part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to say that the Left parties wanted him to behave as their bonded slave (July 23). His government survived for four years on their support.</b> They did not, as claimed by Dr. Singh, veto every decision of his on the nuclear deal but only those that were detrimental to the interests of the people and the nation.

S.R. Krishnamurthy,

Thanjavur

* * * *
<b>
To say the least, it was uncharitable on the part of Dr. Singh to have said what he did about the Left parties, especially after enjoying uninterrupted power at the Centre for 50 long months with their support.</b> The Left did not even expect a share in the spoils of office in return. What prevented him from breaking free from ‘enslavement’ earlier?

E.M. Joseph,

Madurai

* * * *
<b>
Perhaps this is the first time in the history of Indian democracy that a Prime Minister, without answering a single question raised by various MPs, has won a trust vote and taken pride in it.</b> He has paved the way for our slavery to the U.S. Now that the UPA has won, it can tax the common man more and inflate the economy further.

N. Ramachandran,

Durgapur

* * * *
<b>
Is the UPA government’s victory worth celebration? It bargained with JMM leader Shibu Soren, thus adding three votes to its kitty.</b> Mamata Banerjee abstained from voting. Two MDMK rebels voted for the government. I am leaving out the bargain struck with Amar Singh. Dr. Singh has lost the faith of the people and damaged the credibility of democracy.

R. Muthusubramanian,

Chennai

* * * *
<b>
After an unparalleled and vociferous ruckus, the UPA has finally won the trust vote. But while the government of India has won, Parliament has lost. It has lost its credibility and sanctity. </b>The most deplorable spectre was that of BJP MPs waving bundles of rupees claiming they were offered money to abstain from voting. It reduced the political affairs to a sorry state.

Gulam Jeelani,

New Delhi

* * * *
<b>
As pointed out by Prakash Karat, Tuesday was indeed a sad day for democracy. All those who watched the pandemonium in Parliament felt the same way.</b> Our MPs are there to raise their voice for the people who vote for them, not for displaying the amount they were offered as bribes.

Shibin Joseph,

Kozhikode

* * * *
<b>
The dignity of Parliament has suffered immensely in recent years. While election of ‘bhais’ and ‘dadas’ has become common, some of our honourable lawmakers were caught on camera accepting money to raise questions in Parliament.</b> On July 22, yet another reprehensible chapter was added to the history of Parliament, when some lawmakers made a mockery of our most highly regarded institution.

Khan Yasir,

New Delhi

* * * *
<b>
The existence of horse-trading was well known. But one would never have imagined that it would be brought out into the open in Parliament. </b>MPs resorting to such degrading levels of conduct — accepting bribes and displaying them — is truly devastating. Portraying the bribe as a matter of proof made the floor of the House a courtroom. The Prime Minister might have won the trust vote but he has not done so convincingly.

Radhee Krishna,

Bangalore

* * * *
<b>
Usually motions are tabled in Parliament. On Tuesday, wads of currency were tabled in the legislature of the world’s largest democracy. What a shame! </b>Whatever the accusations and counter-accusations, it appears that parliamentary democracy in India is on its death bed.

Vasa Srinivasa Murthy,

Visakhapatnam

* * * *
<b>
Shifting loyalties, wheeling-dealing, dinner diplomacy, deals within deals, horse-trading, mockery of people’s mandate, throwing values to the winds, tunnel vision — these are polite epithets used by the people to describe the proceedings in Parliament during the confidence vote. If this is the opinion of the people, what moral authority does the UPA have to continue in office?</b>

One thing became abundantly clear — there is an urgent need to carry out electoral reforms. As a first step, concepts of outside support and issue-based support should be abolished. The ruling coalition should be considered a single party and the members leaving it can do so only by resigning from Parliament.

Col. Ram Gulrajani (retd.),

Chennai

* * * *
<b>
The world watched as our parliamentarians fought inside the sacred precincts of democracy on Monday and Tuesday. Acrimonious allegations, personal attacks and intolerance of others’ opinions marked the debate. To say it was in bad taste is an understatement. </b>It is time to take the power out of the hands of politicians. The people must have the power to participate almost on a day-to-day basis in the decision-making process. We need to go beyond representative democracy. Auguste Comte coined the word sociocracy for collective rule by people. Worldwide discussions are on to adopt sociocracy for more direct and participatory democracy at national and international levels.

Augustine Kuriapilly,

Nagercoil

[ramana]

This explains why the BJP members from Kranataka were so eager to cross vote. They were Congress folks who got elected on BJP tickets!

Pioneer, 24 July 2008

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Rewarding defectors

Nidhi Sharma | New Delhi

Win in bag, Cong set to distribute goodies

After winning the vote of confidence with the help of Opposition detractors, the Congress is set to distribute the goodies. <b>In a Cabinet reshuffle, JMM's Shibu Soren would be accommodated in the Council of Ministers and parliamentary tickets have been promised to almost all BJP MPs who helped UPA in the final touchdown.</b>

The expulsion of Somnath Chatterjee from the CPM has created an opportunity for the UPA to make some political payout to the Samajwadi Party also. According to sources, in case Chatterjee resigns as Speaker, <b>the Congress may propose the name of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Ram Gopal Yadav for the post.</b>

Congress sources indicated that a Cabinet reshuffle might not see the inclusion of SP as it is supporting the UPA from outside, but the Speaker's office could be a good way of strengthening ties with the party's new-found ally.

The timing of the imminent reshuffle is not yet known but sources indicated that the party could wait until next week before bringing about the changes. It is likely to be done after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from the SAARC summit in Colombo on August 1. The reason being that the Congress does not want Soren's inclusion to be seen as an obvious reward for voting in favour of the Government. The changes in Cabinet are likely to be coupled with organisational reshuffle in the Congress also. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Orissa are likely to get new presidents in their State units. There would be widespread changes in the party's central unit also.

<b>The Opposition MPs, who either abstained or voted in favour of the UPA, will extract their pound of flesh. According to sources, BJP MP from Gujarat Somabhai Ganda Patel, who voted for the UPA, would contest on a Congress ticket in the 2009 parliamentary elections. His son Jagdish had been fielded by the Congress from Veramgaon in 2007 Assembly elections.</b> However, Gujarat BJP MP Babubhai Katara might not be that lucky. Seeing the number of charges he is facing, including human trafficking and poll-related offences, the Congress is planning to watch where the cases go before committing anything.


<b>Sources said the Congress depended on old ties to poach BJP MPs</b>. Another BJP MP from Karnataka who voted with the Government -- Manjunath -- has been promised a ticket for the parliamentary elections. A senior leader said: "Manjunath has served two terms in the Karnataka Assembly as a Congress MLA. He even contacted the party for a ticket from Dharwad in the recent Assembly elections but could not be accommodated. Now he has been promised a ticket." Sources said <b>Janata Dal (S) MP Sivanna, who has been a Youth Congress president and an office-bearer of NSUI, would also be rewarded. BJP MP Manorama Madhavraj's son had also fought on a Congress ticket from Udupi in the Assembly elections. </b>

<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So expelling them is what they want. Need something else that will deter such behavior.

I thought Katara was probably arm twisted than paid off as he has many cases. There is a pattern in who gets such offers. So in future parties should be careful who they chose to field and be wary of vulnerable MPs after elections. Katara was clear case of potential arm twisting. Based on past history of the Karnataka MPs dont know how difficult the inducement was! Must have been easy.

I dont see why Somnath Chatterjee should resign.

[Guest]

The BJP members could be disqualified becasue they together cannot be more than 1/3 of the total. If speaker cheats/drags then it is difficult. Anti defection law should be used.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Partyless Speaker </b>
Pioneer.com
Santanu Banerjee | New Delhi
The three-week war of nerves between Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and CPM general secretary Prakash Karat ended along expected lines on Wednesday as the Politburo expelled Chatterjee "for grave anti-party activity". The CPM invoked clause 13 of article 19 of the party's constitution and summarily expelled him from the membership. 

<b>The clause states: "In exceptional circumstances, party committees may resort to summary procedure in expelling members for grave anti-party activity."</b>

Party insiders said the war between Karat and Chatterjee actually began with a note from the Speaker's office on June 29, in which Chatterjee wanted to quit the Speaker's post as well as his Lok Sabha membership. But Karat's advised him to quit as Speaker and join the party MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Incidentally, Karat moved cautiously on Wednesday and called a meeting of the Left Front leaders, informing them of the Politburo decision that Chatterjee was expelled from the party. "We had to inform them as he was allowed to become a Speaker with the consent of the four Left parties which extended support to the UPA Government," a CPM leader told The Pioneer.

According to insiders, while Karat's serving the information to Left Front leaders was hailed as a move in the right direction, the party would have to wait and see the political fallout with regard to the West Bengal comrades who do not necessarily belong to the Karat camp.

However, <b>insiders said the expulsion of Chatterjee, who has never been a mass leader but served only as an elite face of the CPM</b>, was not expected to create a major dissension like it did when a more powerful mass leader and former Tripura Chief Minister Nripen Chakraborty was expelled not only from his party membership but also from the Politburo. Though Chakraborty was rehabilitated just a few days before he died, his expulsion created serious problems in the initial stages for the party in Tripura.

Instead, party insiders feel that the <b>Politburo decision would only bring discipline back into the party, which has suffered a loss of face because of supporting "an anti-people Government like the UPA".</b>

Questioning the timing of his expulsion, BJP claimed the CPI(M) acted late in firing him from the party as it wanted him to preside over the trust vote. <b>If they had expelled him a day before, the Speaker would have had no moral authority to preside over the House proceedings, he said. "The party which claimed high discipline and standards have now got exposed with one of its senior members defying its orders," he said.</b>

The Congress backed Somnath, coming out openly in support of him after the veteran marxist was expelled. Complimenting Chatterjee for being an excellent Speaker, Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said, "He has been an exceptionally good Speaker and exceptionally fair."

Meanwhile, within hours of his expulsion, several leaders from the ruling UPA coalition thronged his residence to express their solidarity with one expressing readiness to accept the veteran Marxist in his party.<b> Among those visiting Chatterjee were Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz and Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi. RJD leaders Devendra Prasad Yadav and Sadhu Yadav also went to meet Chatterjee at his residence.</b>

Incidentally, the expulsion ended Chatterjee's 40-year association with the party, which he joined in 1968 and became the party's first MP in 1971. He was elected party MP for 10 times, barring in 1984 when Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee defeated him from Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency of south Kolkata. After the defeat, party allotted him the Bolpur constituency in Birbhum district.

The first communist to hold a constitutional position, he became the Speaker in June 2004 when four Left parties agreed to support the Congress-led UPA coalition at the Centre.

Chatterjee, son of a prominent Hindu Mahasabha leader, NC Chatterjee, happens to be a Cambridge-educated postgraduate. He also became a barrister from Bar-at-Law from Middle Temple, London, and had been a successful barrister in India. Interestingly, this has not been his first clash with Karat; he opposed the decision of Karat, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Biman Basu, Anil Biswas and Sitaram Yechury against allowing Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister in 1996. He was also issued a show-cause notice for his alleged pro-Congress activities along with party MP Saifuddin Chowdhury in 1992. Chowdhury was finally asked to leave the party in 1998.

According to Left sources, what fueled the party anger was the fact that he equated the CPM's decision to vote against the Manmohan Singh Government as siding with the BJP
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[G.Subramaniam]

Lessons for the BJP

1. Never give seats to xtians
Sangliana now and previously MP Joseph from Kerala
got elected on hindu votes and screwed hindus

2. Never give tickets to relatives of congressmen

3. Get rid of dissidents ASAP

[Bodhi]

Actually, I would suggest one step further. Forget about Xtian, Muslim or Hindu. Don't give ticket to anyone who has not done grassroot work for at least 2 decades and proved his sound committment to Hindutva. full stop.

By the way anybody knows why Brij Bhushan Singh Balrampur MP defected, and that too, to Mulayam??? This guy was known for his commitment to Hindutva.