Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former Bengal Chief Minister, passes away in Kolkata at 80

PTC News Desk: Veteran Left leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away this morning at his home in south Kolkata. He was eighty. He had been hospitalized multiple times due to respiratory issues that had been plaguing him for some time. 

He had to be placed on life support last year due to illness. However, the seasoned CPM leader returned. His son Suchetan and wife Meera survive him.

Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away at the age of 80

“Condolences to his family members and admirers. I pray that his soul finds eternal peace,” tweeted West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/tHipQ6PWJU

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024

From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Bhattacharjee, who was previously a member of the CPM’s Politburo, the highest decision-making body, led Bengal as chief minister, taking over from Jyoti Basu. Mr. Bhattacharjee led the CPM into the 2011 state elections, in which the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, achieved a historic victory that brought an end to the eastern state’s 34-year Communist rule.

Before he entered politics full-time, Mr. Bhattacharjee, a graduate of Kolkata’s Presidency College, taught in schools. Prior to Mr. Basu’s resignation in 2000, he held positions as an MLA, a state minister, and deputy chief minister. As Chief Minister, he guided the CPM to victory in the 2001 and 2006 Assembly elections.

In contrast to the Jyoti Basu government, the Left Front government under Mr. Bhattacharjee had a more liberal stance toward business. Paradoxically, the Left’s unexpected triumph in the 2011 election was made possible by this program and property purchases associated with industrialisation.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who turned 80 in March, has been dealing with health issues for a some now and has recently had multiple hospital stays. His illnesses prevented him from engaging in public life.

From 2000 to 2011, he presided over Bengal as its chief minister. He had replaced Jyoti Basu, a former senior CPI(M).

The eastern state’s final Left Chief Minister was Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, defeated him in the 2011 Assembly elections, ending the Left’s 34-year hegemony in Bengal. The protests against the acquisition of land for industries, led by Mamata Banerjee, shaped his term.

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