<p>As election results showed that the Left strength in the 545-member Lok Sabha could fall under 25, from the 60-plus of 2004, Karat conceded that the Congress and its allies had won the electoral battle.<br /><br />"The CPI-M and the Left parties have suffered a major setback in these elections," he said, reading out a prepared statement. "This necessitates a serious examination of the reasons for the Party's poor performance."<br /><br />Karat said the CPI-M "will continue its cooperation with the non-Congress, non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) secular parties with whom we have been working".<br /><br />"The CPI-M assures all those who have reposed faith in the party that we will continue to champion the interests of the working people, national sovereignty and secularism."<br /><br />Karat said the party's politburo would meet in New Delhi to discuss threadbare the reasons for the Left rout in its two traditional bastions in West Bengal and Kerala.</p>
<p>As election results showed that the Left strength in the 545-member Lok Sabha could fall under 25, from the 60-plus of 2004, Karat conceded that the Congress and its allies had won the electoral battle.<br /><br />"The CPI-M and the Left parties have suffered a major setback in these elections," he said, reading out a prepared statement. "This necessitates a serious examination of the reasons for the Party's poor performance."<br /><br />Karat said the CPI-M "will continue its cooperation with the non-Congress, non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) secular parties with whom we have been working".<br /><br />"The CPI-M assures all those who have reposed faith in the party that we will continue to champion the interests of the working people, national sovereignty and secularism."<br /><br />Karat said the party's politburo would meet in New Delhi to discuss threadbare the reasons for the Left rout in its two traditional bastions in West Bengal and Kerala.</p>