I guess you are not only his neighbour but also a relative of Mr.Somnath Chatterjee the great Barrister and Parliamentrian. His father Mr. N.C. Chatterjee is the founding father of the Hindu Mahasabha, the old name for today's Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP. Thats why the old BJP stalwarts have a soft corner for Somnathda. Yes he does come from a highly aristrocratic family much like Mr Jyoti Basu, also a Barrister (he ofcourse never practised since he was very rich to spend time and indulge in politics). Somnathda knows that even if the CPI(M) turn against him, he has many friends within BJP and Congress to bail him out. Just ignore his public image of being a BJP basher and hater, its only for the public consumption. Haathi Ka Danth, remember. Jo diktha woh nahin, Jo nahin dikhta woh hin. Remember two types of people join politics - Very Rich or Very Poor. The middle class guys have no time for politics he is worried about rising prices, education for his children and life after retirement. Another reason why Somnathda refusing to step down as Speaker, since he does not want to go down in history who could not complete his term since his party asked him to climb down from the high chair on the podium. Ofcourse although I am not a commie, I would however as a Bengali would like to see him on the chair till the term ends. Its not that we see any Bengali on the top. be as Prime minister or a President, even though Bengalis sacrificed their lives for India's Freedom.
