Ex Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Dies: 5 Facts About Him

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and the last Marxist to hold the office died at his south Kolkata residence this morning. He was 80. 

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was battling respiratory problems for some time and was hospitalised several times in the past year. The former West Bengal Chief Minister is survived by his wife Meera and son Suchetan. His body will be kept for public viewing so people can pay their respects. Mr Bhattacharjee's body has been donated for medical research as per his wishes.

Here are some facts about the former West Bengal CM:

1. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was born on March 1, 1944, in Kolkata. He pursued his education at Sailendra Sarkar Vidyalaya and Presidency College, Kolkata, where he earned a BA Hons in Bengali.

2. Mr Bhattacharjee's political career began in 1966 when he joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He quickly rose through the ranks, holding various positions within the party, including Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the Democratic Youth Federation, Member of the West Bengal State Committee, and Member of the Secretariat. He became a Permanent Invitee to the Central Committee in 1984 and a full Member in 1985. In 2000, he was elevated to the Polit Bureau, the party's highest decision-making body.

3. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the last Marxist Chief Minister of West Bengal, serving from 2000 to 2011. He succeeded the iconic Jyoti Basu and led the state during the final chapter of the 34-year Left Front rule until the Trinamool Congress came to power. 

4. Mr Bhattacharjee was a poet and translator and was an avid reader, with Gabriel Garcia Marquez being one of his favourite authors. He was the nephew of renowned poet Sukanta Bhattacharya.

5. In 2022, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee refused the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, announced by the Narendra Modi government. "If I have been given the award, then I refuse it," he said back then, becoming the third Communist leader to reject a government award.