After having lunch at the former Lok Sabha Speaker's home here in Bolpur, Yechury told reporters, "Somnath babu is very active in party programmes. He has campaigned for party candidates in elections. The formality in connection with his party membership should not be a big question."
However, 86-year-old Chatterjee, who was expelled in July, 2008 after he had refused to step down as the Lok Sabha Speaker in protest over the Indo-US nuclear deal, said he was not physically and mentally sound to rejoin the party.
Yechury also attended a programme of a girl's college of which Chatterjee is the president.