Karat to continue as CPI(M) general secretary

New Delhi, May 18:The electoral drubbing notwithstanding, Prakash Karat will continue as general secretary of CPI(M) whose Polit Bureau met here today and reviewed its worst electoral performance since its inception in 1964.
As reports suggested that knives were out for Karat in the party, senior Polit Bureau members, who attended the meeting, said there was no question of the General Secretary quitting the post.

"There is no question of Karat's resignation," Polit Bureau members Nirupam Sen and Manik Sarkar told reporters after the meeting, which was skipped by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattarcharjee amid reports that he has offered to quit following the poll debacle in the state.

The meeting was attended by all other members.

Sen rubbished as "baseless and absolute rumours" reports of Bhattacharjee quitting the Chief Ministership taking responsibility for the debacle in Bengal.

Asked whether people have rejected the industrialisation policy, he said, "I don't think the people are against industry. These were all India elections. State-level issues had an impact on the poll results." PTI