The Bengal line finally prevailed over CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat’s diktat of not hobnobbing with any expelled leader, more so if it happens to be former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. In what appears to be a departure from the Communist Red Book, party politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Friday rallied behind
party central committee member Gautam Deb’s decision to invite the former Lok Sabha Speaker to address an election rally in his constituency Dum Dum on April 24.
“We are urging everyone who has had empathy with our ideology to participate in the campaigning. Mr Chatterjee is no exception. Now it is up to him to take the final call,” Mr Yechury said, indicating the central party would not go against the majority decision of the Bengal party to reinstate Mr Chatterjee in the party fold. When asked whether it was a prelude that the party will revoke his expulsion for anti-party activity, he parried the point: “Right now we are concentrating on the campaign.