Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Dies At 80

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, veteran Left leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, died at his south Kolkata residence this morning. He was 80. He had been unwell for a while and had been suffering from respiratory problems that led to frequent hospitalisations. Last year, he had to be put on life support after he contracted pneumonia. But the veteran CPM leader made a comeback.

He is survived by his wife Meera and son Suchetan.

Mr Bhattacharjee, also a former member of the CPM's top decision-making body, Politburo, served as Bengal Chief Minister from 2000 to 2011, succeeding Jyoti Basu in the top post. Mr Bhattacharjee led the CPM into the 2011 state polls, when the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress posted a historic win, ending the 34-year Communist rule in the eastern state.

Known for his simple lifestyle, Mr Bhattacharjee breathed his last at the two-bedroom flat at Palm Avenue from where he once ran the state. His organs will be donated for medical research as per his wishes. His body will be kept in the CPM headquarters for his followers to pay respects and the last journey will take place tomorrow.

An alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, Mr Bhattacharjee was a school teacher before he joined politics full-time. After serving as an MLA and a state minister, he was elevated to Deputy Chief Minister before Mr Basu stepped down in 2000. As Chief Minister, he led the CPM to Assembly poll victories in 2001 and 2006.

During Mr Bhattacharjee's tenure, the Left Front government adopted a relatively open policy towards business as compared to the Jyoti Basu regime. Ironically, it was this policy and land acquisitions related to industrialisation that paved the way for the Left's stunning defeat in the 2011 election.

Trinamool Congress, which won just 30 seats in the 2006 elections, led the movement against the Tata Motors plant in Singur. Eventually, in 2008, Ratan Tata decided to shift the project to Gujarat and cited the movement by Ms Banerjee as the reason. This was a big setback to Mr Bhattacharjee's government. Equally damaging was the violence in Nandigram where police action against a group protesting against land acquisition for a chemical hub project led to 14 deaths.

Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress reaped the political dividends of the anti-incumbency of the Left Front rule and the negative perception about the state government's land acquisition policies, winning 184 seats in the 2011 election. The Left's defeat in the 2011 polls started a decline it is yet to recover from. Over the next decade, the BJP overtook it as the main Opposition and the Left now is reduced to a minor force in the state it once ruled unchallenged for decades.   

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose expressed his condolences to Mr Bhattacharjee's family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the news. "He was a political stalwart who served the state with commitment. My heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti," the Prime Minister tweeted. 

In her condolence message, Chief Minister Banerjee said she had a decades-long association with the veteran Left leader. "I am very upset. My condolences to Meera di, Suchetan and to all supporters of CPM. We have already taken a decision that we shall give him full respect and ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites," she said.

Leader of the Opposition, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, said he is "deeply saddened" by the news and expressed his condolences to Mr Bhattacharjee's family and admirers.

Long-time comrade and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury described the news of Mr Bhattacharjee's death as "shattering". "His dedication to the party, West Bengal, our shared ideals and also his ability to look ahead will always function as a lodestar," he said.