Somnath Chatterjee: Veteran Parliamentarian Dies at 89

Veteran parliamentarian and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee died at a Kolkata hospital on Monday morning. He was 89. He was hospitalized due to a kidney ailment last week and had been keeping ill health recently. 

Mr. Chatterjee was born in Tezpur, Assam. An alumnus of Calcutta University and Jesus College, Cambridge, he practised law at the Calcutta High Court.  

A 10-time MP, Mr. Chatterjee became a member of the CPI(M) in 1968. Three years later, he won his first Lok Sabha election in the Bardhaman constituency as an independent supported by the CPI(M). The constituency had been earlier held by his father, N.C. Chatterjee, who was initially associated with the Hindu Mahasabha but later contested for parliament with the support of the CPI.

As a parliamentarian, Somanth Chatterjee was known for his sharp speeches and rhetoric and was respected by all sections of the political spectrum. He won the award for outstanding parliamentarian in 1996. During his long career as a parliamentarian, Somanth Chatterjee represented the constituencies of Bardhaman, Jadavpur and Bolpur, and was defeated only once - by Mamata Banerjee in 1984 in the elections. 

In 2004, Somnath Chatterjee was elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha unanimously. As a speaker, he was known for his adherence to the rules and procedures of parliament. In 2008, he differed with the CPI(M) over his continuing as the speaker following the party's withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance government over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Following his refusal to resign as speaker ahead of a vote of confidence brought by the government, he was expelled by the party. 

Mr. Chatterjee retired from politics in 2009. His death was condoled by the president, prime minister and all major political parties.