New Delhi, May 30 (IANS): The rout of the CPI-M in the Lok Sabha elections needs "serious self-critical examination by the leadership", the party has said, adding it was wrong to assume that this meant the demise of the Left.

An editorial titled "Left Will Overcome" in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy" said a section of the mainstream newspapers was wrong in surmising that the Left was in terminal decline.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) won just three Lok Sabha seats -- one from Kerala and two from Tamil Nadu where it was part of the DMK-led alliance. The CPI won two seats, both from Tamil Nadu.

"To write an epitaph to the CPI-M and the Left is plain wrong and stems from a profound misunderstanding of what characterizes the Left," the editorial said.

It admitted that the 2019 Lok Sabha election saw the worst electoral performance of the CPI-M and the Communists in parliamentary history.

The editorial added that the drastic fall in the vote share of the Left "is a matter of grave concern.

"Overall, the severe electoral setback requires a serious self-critical examination by the leadership. This will be undertaken."