Left leaves it on Somnath to decide on continuance in office

New Delhi, Jul 9 (UNI) The Left parties have left it to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to decide about his continuance in the Office in view of their withdrawal of support to the UPA government.

''I am sure the honourable Speaker will decide for himself keeping in view the prevailing political circumstances,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told newspersons here today.

Mr Karat's reaction came in response to a query whether Mr Chatterjee would also quit his office following the Left's decision to pull out from the Manmohan Singh government yesterday.

To a related query whether the list of his party which was submitted to the President today contained the name of Mr Chattrejee or not , Mr Karat evaded a direct reply but added that the list contained the names of all the CPI(M) MPs.

Rumours of Mr Chatterjee demitting his office after the Left withdrawal of support have been swirling in political circles.

He has been at the Centre of a heated debate in his party and outside too on whether he should continue as Lok Sabha Speaker or not.

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