CPI(M) Expels Rebel Party Leader Lakshman Seth

The CPI(M) today expelled Lakshman Seth, a rebel party leader who was the face of the party during the Nandigram movement, a day after he praised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for having guts.

"CPI(M) East Midnapore district committee and district secretariat member Lakshman Seth has been expelled from the party for anti-party activities. He has been expelled under clause 19 (13) of the party constitution," a CPI(M) statement said.

"When the party is trying to strengthen the district leadership of CPI(M) at that point of time he was engaged in malicious campaign to embarrass the party in public," it said.

He had said yesterday that the chief minister was doing a great job after restoring peace in Darjeeling and junglemahal and had the guts to say that division of West Bengal would not be allowed, which the CPI(M) lacked during its tenure.

Seth's renewal of membership due on March 31 was not done after an inquiry commission looked into allegations of corruption and misuse of the party post. Following it he wrote to the CPI(M) that he would like to quit from all posts and the party.

He had also attacked the party leadership especially CPI(M) Politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee whom he had termed authoritarian.

Bhattacharjee, a former chief minister, should have resigned after the police firing at Nandigram in 2007 which led to the killing of 14 people, Seth said today.

His expulsion came within a month of the expulsion of another party rebel Abdur Rezzak Mollah from the party in February.