Former West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was the second and the last CM of the Left regime in West Bengal, died at his residence at Palm Avenue in South Kolkata on Thursday morning. He was 80.
His daughter Suchetana Bhattacharjee has confirmed the demise of her father and said that he started falling sick after having breakfast, shortly after which he passedaway. Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife Mira Bhattacharjee.
He was the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011, succeeding the nonagenarian India Marxist and the longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal, Late Jyoti Basu.
In the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections, when the Trinamool Congress-ruled and Mamata Banerjee-led government came to power in West Bengal, ending the 34-year Left Front regime in the state, Bhattacharjee himself was defeated from the Jadavpur Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas, where from he was elected for four consecutive terms.
The 2011 West Bengal Assembly election was his last appearance in the electoral battle. After that, he restricted himself to internal party activities besides getting more engrossed in his literary preoccupations, a mark of this former Chief Minister. He was always revered for his simple lifestyle in a two-bedroom flat at Palm Avenue.
For the last couple of years, he had been suffering from a number of physical ailments especially because of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) problems for which he had to be hospitalised a number of times.
The last time he was admitted to hospital was on July 29 last year. However, he recovered and returned home on August 9. His team of doctors has always complained that even during his hospitalisation period, the former Chief Minister always insisted on early discharge.
Finally, he breathed his last at the same two-bedroom flat at Palm Avenue, his abode of peace for last so many years.
In 2022, the Union government recommended his name for Padma Bhushan, which he refused.
Nephew of the legendary revolutionary poet Sukanta Bhattacharjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee walked against his party lines in the closing days of his ministership to promote industrialisation in West Bengal.
His death marks the end of an era in the history of Indian politics.
The mortal remains of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will be donated to a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata on Friday, as per his last wish.
The CPI(M) Politburo member and former minister in the previous Left Front regime, Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra told media persons that the former Chief Minister had pledged his body for the purpose of research for medical students.
"His body will be preserved on Thursday. On Friday morning his body will be taken to CPI(M) state headquarters and kept there for some time for people to pay homage.
"Apart from that several party leaders including Politburo members will be coming to pay their tributes.
"Thereafter his body will be donated at any state-run medical college and hospital, which will be decided after consulting with the state health department," Dr Mishra said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a statement expressing condolences to the bereaved family members and his party colleagues and said the departed leader will be provided with a ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites.
"Shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of the former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. I have known him for several decades, and visited him a few times when he was ill and effectively confined to his home in the last few years. My very sincere condolences to Meera di and Suchetan, at this hour of grief.
"I communicate my condolences to the members of the CPI(M) party and all his followers. We have already taken a decision that we shall give him full respect and ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites," the Chief Minister's statement read.
In his condolence message, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari also expressed condolences to the bereaved family members and admirers of the former Chief Minister.
"I am deeply saddened to learn that former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has left for his heavenly abode. Condolences to his family members and admirers. I pray that his soul finds eternal peace. Om Shanti," his statement read.
(With inputs from IANS)
