Thrissur: CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan on Sunday said party leaders who contested the recent Assembly elections with the support of the UDF had committed "class betrayal" and could be accepted back into the party only if they corrected their mistake.Govindan was responding to reporters' questions about recent remarks by senior CPI(M) leader MV Jayarajan, who had said the party made mistakes in candidate selection in some constituencies and that those who contested with UDF support could be taken back if they returned after correcting their mistake.Former CPI(M) leaders V Kunhikrishnan, MV Govindan and G Sudhakaran contested the Assembly elections with the support of the UDF in the Payyanur, Thaliparamba and Ambalapuzha constituencies, respectively, and won.Responding to Jayarajan's remarks, Govindan said the party had already examined these developments as part of its post-election self-criticism and did not wish to discuss them again before the media.He also said Jayarajan's remarks did not reflect any fresh party decision."If anyone corrects their mistake, they can be taken back. That is applicable anywhere in the world," he said.Asked what mistake the rebel leaders had committed, Govindan said they had betrayed the party."The party has already made its position clear. The stand taken by Sudhakaran, Govindan and Kunhikrishnan amounted to betrayal of the party. They were part of the party's top leadership, but they betrayed the party and left," he said.He said the party would continue to criticise the stand taken by the rebel leaders."However, the general principle is that if a person corrects the mistake, he or she can become part of the CPI(M)," Govindan said.He said the party's review following the Assembly election defeat had concluded that the leaders had acted against the party by contesting with UDF support."If individual leaders express their views before the media, it should not be turned into a separate issue. The party has already reviewed the matter," he said.Rejecting reports of a faction emerging in the CPI(M) under the party general secretary MA Baby after the election defeat, Govindan dismissed the speculation."It is nonsense," he said, refusing to elaborate further.The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which had been in power in Kerala for 10 years, suffered a heavy defeat in the Assembly elections, winning only 35 of the 140 seats, while the UDF returned to power with 102 seats.