Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and VS Achuthanandan. File pictures

Hyderabad, June 12: The CPM central committee today identified policy “weaknesses” and “organisational defects” of the Bengal unit and the “administration” for the poll debacle but lauded the Kerala party for “emerging with strong popular support” and losing only “narrowly”.

“The central committee has examined the reasons for the big defeat of the Left Front in Bengal. Notwithstanding the achievements of the Left government over the past three decades in Bengal, there were shortcomings and weaknesses in the policies and measures adopted by the administration and the party for the welfare of the people,” CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said at a news conference after the conclusion of the three-day politburo and central committee meetings in Hyderabad.

He said the “mistakes” in Singur and Nandigram “proved costly”. “The (central committee) review identified the organisational defects that alienated various sections of the people in Bengal,’’ Karat said.

The CPM boss appreciated the party’s performance in Kerala, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) “narrowly” missed returning to power. “The UDF (United Democratic Front) could win with only a slender margin of three seats. In its review, the central committee appreciated the work of the CPM in the elections and the campaign. The LDF has emerged with strong popular support. The central committee has directed the Kerala unit to take steps to further strengthen the party there.’’

It has been decided that the CPM’s 20th congress will be held in Kerala, a move that is being seen as a goodwill gesture in appreciation of the party’s performance in the state.

Karat hinted that not much “rectification work’’ had been done by the Bengal unit despite being asked to do so by the central leadership in the Vijayawada session last year. “We had talked about some rectification steps that were needed in our Bengal organisation after the (2009) Lok Sabha polls. But… well, what do I say… such steps apply now also,’’ Karat said. The CPM’s tally had come down by 20 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

The general secretary said the UDF “did not fare well” in Kerala because of the “anti-people policies” and “corruption’’ in the UPA II government at the Centre. “They had to pay the price for being in the government at the Centre.”

But in Bengal, this did not happen even though Trinamul is an UPA II ally because “the people simply opted for change’’, Karat said. “What do we do? The people in Bengal opted for change… they wanted a new government.’’

The CPM boss brushed aside questions on the view of a section of the Bengal leadership that his decision to withdraw support to UPA I in 2008 eventually led to the Congress-Trinamul alliance and the Left’s defeat. “We didn’t find it necessary to discuss this issue in detail as the Vijayawada deliberations had already been held,’’ he said.

But Karat today did not contradict the Bengal CPM’s stand that the Congress-Trinamul alliance hurt the Left. “We got 41 per cent of the votes. A vast section of the poor and the working class supported us. However, the unity of extreme right and extreme Left forces… this unity had an impact on our party’s performance,’’ he said, possibly hinting at a Trinamul-Maoist nexus.

Singur stance

Karat said his party would not oppose the Mamata Banerjee government’s move to return 400 acres to disgruntled farmers in Singur. “We are not opposed to that… we are not taking a stand that no land can be returned in Singur,’’ he said.

Karat, however, criticised the way in which the state government had initially tried to take back the land through an ordinance. “The way they tried to do it (return the land) was illegal and unconstitutional. If they go through the regular legal procedures, we will not oppose the return.’’

Sources said Karat called up Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today to inform him about the party’s decision on the issue.