Somnath, a catalyst for opposition unity, a rebel in his own party

New Delhi, August 13 : Somnath Chatterjee will best be remembered for three things–a catalyst for opposition unity, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and rebel in his own party–all in a span of nine years.
Known as one of the most articulate Marxist parliamentarians, Chatterjee started acquiring a national profile since the start of the new millennium as he began organising meetings of opposition leaders at his Ashoka Road residence.It was at these conclaves that the Marxist leader became a bridge between the Congress under Sonia Gandhi and other political leaders outside the BJP-led NDA fold, including the Samajwadi Party.
These meetings, including a dinner in 2003 on the eve of a surprise move by the Congress to move a no-confidence motion against the Vajpayee government, proved to be the catalyst for what turned out to be Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. Chatterjee’s proximity and approachable attitude and ability to break free from classical Marxist trappings perhaps led Sonia Gandhi to offer him the Speakership when the UPA rode to power in the summer of 2004. Such was his persona that he was among the few MPs who could walk into PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s office without an appointment.