Somnath still bats for the Left

Kolkata: Once a comrade, always a comrade. This aptly applies to former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. Though expelled from the party three years ago, his loyalty towards the CPM remains unchanged.

And this may well prove to be very useful for the CPM which is facing its toughest poll ever.

"I feel as a citizen there is no alternative for Bengal except the CPM. It will be disastrous if any other combination were to come to power in Bengal," said Mr Chatterjee.

The Trinamool is calling for parivartan (or change) but Chatterjee is confident Bengal's voters will see through that slogan.

"The people of Bengal, all these years, have opted for the CPM. Why? Not because of magic, rigging, the media misleading people all the time. Change is relevant only if it is for the better," he said.

Somnath Chatterjee has seen happier times. Jyoti Basu was alive and the CPM was unshakeable in West Bengal.

Some CPM leaders have requested Chatterjee to campaign for them. Highly unlikely, he says, given the state of his health. But one CPM candidate, Housing Minister Goutam Deb, has announced Chatterjee will campaign for him at Dum Dum on April 24.