Poll-battered Left parties meet to introspect

Top leaders of poll-battered CPI(M) would meet here on Monday to do a "serious introspection" of the causes for their debacle at the hustings, especially in their bastions of Bengal and Kerala which face assembly elections in another two years. While the Politburo would meet tomorrow, the party has given up the idea of convening a Central Committee meeting.  

The factors responsible for the massive rout are likely to come up for discussion in the CPI(M) body, the most important among them being the "failure" of the party's political organisation in the two states, party sources said.  

The other issues could range from land acquisition for industries, corruption and infighting to national issues like forging of alliance with parties which do not matter much in the two states, they said.  

The Forward Bloc's Central Secretariat would also meet here on Monday while CPI's National Executive and National Council would hold their meetings from Tuesday. RSP leaders would also be meeting this week.  

The four Left parties, which met here on Sunday, would review the poll reverses at their own meetings and then meet again to firm up a collective assessment on how to overcome the shortcomings and move ahead, they said.