Veteran Left Leader and Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Passes Away at 80
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a prominent figure in Indian politics and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, passed away this morning at his residence in South Kolkata. He was 80 years old. Bhattacharjee had been battling respiratory issues for some time, leading to frequent hospitalisations. Last year, he was placed on life support after contracting pneumonia but had managed to recover. His passing marks the end of an era for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the political landscape of West Bengal.
A Stellar Legacy
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a stalwart of Indian politics and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, passed away this morning at his residence in South Kolkata. He was 80 years old. Bhattacharjee had been grappling with respiratory issues for some time, leading to frequent hospitalisations. Last year, he was placed on life support after contracting pneumonia but had managed to recover. He is survived by his wife, Meera, and their son, Suchetan.
A former member of the CPM's Politburo, Bhattacharjee served as Bengal's Chief Minister from 2000 to 2011, succeeding Jyoti Basu. His tenure saw the Left Front government adopting a relatively open policy towards business, a shift from the Jyoti Basu regime. This approach, however, led to controversial land acquisitions for industrialisation, which played a role in the Left's defeat in the historic 2011 state elections that brought Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress to power, ending the 34-year Communist rule in the state.
An alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, Bhattacharjee was a school teacher before dedicating himself to full-time politics. He rose through the ranks, serving as an MLA, state minister, and Deputy Chief Minister before becoming the Chief Minister in 2000. Under his leadership, the CPM won the Assembly elections in 2001 and 2006. Bhattacharjee's passing marks the end of an era for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the political landscape of West Bengal.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
© Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
