Defeated CPI-M Politburo member M A Baby not to resign from Assembly membership

KANNUR: CPI(M) in Kerala today scotched speculations that party Politburo member M A Baby might resign his Assembly membership in the wake of his defeat in the Kollam Lok Sabha seat.

"This is a media creation. Unlike the bourgeois parties, there would not be any resignation drama in the CPI-M," senior party leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters here.

Baby, who represents Kundara segment in the assembly, was humbled by RSP's N K Premachandran, whose party quit the LDF and crossed over to the UDF on the eve of the polls.

Baby and JD-S's Mathew T Thomas were two LDF MLAs who contested the Lok Sabha polls. Thomas was trounced by Jose K Mani of Kerala Congress (M) by a huge margin in Kottayam Lok Sabha seat.

Balakrishnan said the UDF owed its victory in 12 of the 20 seats in the state largely due to the contribution of the Kerala Congress (M) and the Indian Union Muslim League and not on the strength of the Congress, which heads the coalition.

Earlier, addressing a commemorative meeting organised on the 10th death anniversary of party stalwart and former Chief Minister E K Nayanar here, Balakrishnan said the Left would examine the reasons for poor performance in the polls in its strongholds in the country. "We will examine the reasons and take corrective measures. Strengthening of the Left in the country will be taken up by the CPI-M as its immediate task," he said.