Despite defeat Prakash Karat refuses to go

NEW DELHI: While the Left’s relevance at the national political centrestage is fast vanishing, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat refuses to either accept the people’s verdict or own moral responsibility for the worst-ever performance of the CPM-led Left Front in the LS polls.

Even as the CPI will lose its “national party” status by winning only one seat in the general elections, the CPM top brass is examining whether it will be able to retain its status as a national party, which has come under cloud.

Notably, the CPM influence has not only been limited to three states, Tripura (2 seats), West Bengal (2 seats) and Kerala (7 seats, including two Left-backed Independent candidates), it’s relevance in West Bengal has become questionable. From 15 seats in 2009 in West Bengal, the CPM has come down to two. Much to the party’s shock, both the CPM and the BJP have won nearly equal number of seats in West Bengal. The CPI, Forward Bloc and the RSP drew a blank.

But refusing to accept responsibility for the decimation of the Left, the CPM boss on Friday said neither the party’s central leadership nor the state leadership in West Bengal needs to take responsibility for the humiliating worst-ever tally taking the Left down to 12 from 24 Lok Sabha seats.