Voice 9 Bureau, Kokata: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a seasoned Leftist luminary and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, passed away at his abode in south Kolkata earlier today. Aged 80, he had been ailing for some time, grappling with respiratory ailments that necessitated frequent hospital stays. Last year, his battle with pneumonia had compelled him to rely on life support, yet the stalwart CPM figure managed to stage a recovery. Survived by his wife Meera and son Suchetan, Mr. Bhattacharjee, a former luminary of the CPM's apex decision-making entity, the Politburo, helmed the reins of Bengal from 2000 to 2011, succeeding Jyoti Basu at the helm. Leading the CPM into the 2011 state elections, he witnessed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress clinch a historic victory, terminating the 34-year Communist hegemony in the eastern state.
Prior to Mr. Basu's resignation in 2000, Mr. Bhattacharjee ascended to the position of Deputy Chief Minister. His stewardship saw the CPM secure triumphs in the Assembly polls of 2001 and 2006. Notably, during his tenure, the Left Front administration embraced a relatively liberal stance towards commerce compared to the era under Jyoti Basu. Paradoxically, it was this approach and the land acquisitions linked to industrialization that paved the path for the Left's dramatic downfall in the 2011 electoral showdown.
Bengal's Governor CV, Ananda Bose, extended his sympathies to Mr. Bhattacharjee's kin. In her message of condolence, Chief Minister Banerjee recounted her enduring association with the veteran Leftist leader spanning decades. "I am profoundly disheartened. My heartfelt sympathies to Meera Di, Suchetan, and all CPM adherents. We have unanimously resolved to accord him the utmost reverence and ceremonial homage during his final voyage and rituals," she remarked.
