CPI(M) Kerala secretariat meets to assess poll outcome

A two-day meeting of the CPI(M) state secretariat in Kerala began on Sunday to discuss the drubbing of the LDF in the Lok Sabha polls.

According to CPI(M) sources, party general secretary Prakash Karat and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan briefed party forum of the factors that led to the defeat of the Left at the national and the state levels.
    
Based on the briefing, discussions would take place at the party forum and would come out with "corrective" measures and steps to strengthen the Left.

The secretariat proposals would be placed before the CPI(M) state committee scheduled to meet later this week.
    
The sources said that today's meeting was "less stormy and more business-like compared to its last sitting before the Lok Sabha poll results were out", when several members unleashed a severe attack on chief minister VS Achuthanandan, accusing him of ignoring the party line on crucial issues.

The LDF was routed in the Lok Sabha polls by the Congress-led UDF which lifted 16 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats.
    
The tally of the CPI(M) came down to four from 13 in 2004 while the second largest ally CPI drew a blank.