Mr. Somnath Chatterjee was elected as the 14th Speaker of the Lok Sabha on 4 June 2004. This dedicated politician began his political career in 1968 as a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [C.P.I. (M)]. Before making a strong foothold in the political arena, he served as an Advocate, Trade Unionist, Political & Social Worker.

In 1971, he was elected to the 5th Lok Sabha. Then, he served on numerous Parliamentary Committees as a chairman. Also, he has been a member of various governmental and parliamentary delegations. As a speaker, he introduced the concept of live telecast of Parliamentary proceedings.