Yechury, Karat to attend CPI-M meeting to discuss poll debacle in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 16 (IANS) The top brass of the CPI-M, including general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat, will take part in the meeting of the Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) starting Sunday to discuss the Lok Sabha polls debacle.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front had a disappointing outing at the Lok Sabha polls which saw 19 of its candidates losing. There are a total of 20 Parliamentary constituencies in the southern state.The Left won only the Alathur seat where CPI-M veteran K. Radhakrishnan defeated Congress’ Remya Haridas (who was the sitting MP) by around 22,000 votes.The CPI-M contested 15 seats, the CPI four and the Kerala Congress (Mani) one seat.Vijayan, after casting his vote on April 26 at his hometown in Kannur, claimed that the Left would register a historic win.–IANSsg/pgh