It is not clear whether Somnath Chatterjee, the Speaker of India's Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) might resign. He met with CPM veteran leader Jyoti Basu who is trying to persuade him to resign and not to defy the party.
The UPA government faces no confidence vote on July 22. Chatterjee being a member of the CPM, is expected to go by the party decision to vote against the government. Therefore, the party wants Chatterjee to resign and vote against the government.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee
also met with CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu ahead of the July 22 no confidence
vote in the Lok Sabha and explained to him circumstances that led to break-up
of the UPA-Left coalition.
