Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 : The CPI(M) national leadership has laid the blame for the party's recent debacle in the Lok Sabha polls at the door of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his improper conduct in public.

It has rejected the Kerala unit's explanation of consolidation of communal votes; Centre's strangulation of state finances which led to default in payment of social welfare pensions and the alliance the CPI(M) had with the Congress in other parts of the country, as being the reasons behind the party's poor showing.

The CPI(M) managed to win just one of the 20 seats in Kerala and the three-day national meeting of the party which ended on Sunday saw a section of leaders from Kerala like Thomas Isaac pointing out the real reasons for the debacle.

Even though a few others like Elamaram Kareem tried their best to defend CM Vijayan, but the national leadership dismissed all explanations.

It has now been decided that the central leadership will go to Kerala and initiate talks at all levels in the party to devise strategies to win back the confidence of the people of the state.

Soon after the Lok Sabha results, state-level committees went soft on CM Vijayan but most of the 14 district committees pointed fingers at him and the scams associated with his daughter.

More importantly, a section of the leadership in the state outside of Kannur District is also upset as currently all three key posts of Chief Minister, state Secretary and Left Convenor are held by leaders from Kannur.

Meanwhile, with 79-year-old Vijayan's health also deteriorating, talks of finding his replacement have begun.

One of the names doing the rounds is that of state Secretary MV Govindan, with Isaac Thomas being touted to take over as the new state Secretary.

A shake-up in the Kerala Cabinet is also being mulled.

All eyes are on the national leadership now, which for the first time since CM Vijayan took over, will play the role of a watchdog.

/IANS