Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy, who served as Chief Minister of Kerala twice, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Chandy, 79, had not been keeping well for quite some time and was staying in Bengaluru since November last year. He was ailing from throat cancer.
As a mark of respect, the Kerala government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday. Also, a two-day mourning will be observed in the state.
Chandy will go down in the history of Kerala Assembly records as the longest-serving legislator in the state.
He won his first election in 1970 from his home constituency Puthupally in Kottayam district. When he passed away, he was the sitting legislator from the same constituency and was an MLA for an uninterrupted 53 years.
His body, according to his family, will be flown from Bengaluru later in the day to state capital Thiruvananthapuram and the funeral is being planned to be held at his home parish at Puthupally on Wednesday.
It was last year, he edged out K.M.Mani - the Kerala Congress veteran - in terms of the number of years being a legislator.
Condolence pour in
The Congress Party paid tributes to the former Chief Minister on its official Twitter handle it said, "Deeply saddened by the passing of former Kerala CM and esteemed Congress leader, Oommen Chandy. "A stalwart in politics, his contributions to Kerala's progress and development will always be remembered. A true statesman, he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. May his soul rest in eternal peace," the party said.
Condolences started to pour in with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recalled his association with Chandy as they both made their debut in the Kerala Assembly in 1970. "We started our political journey together through student politics and continued a very long way. Chandy was always with the people and it's tough to say goodbye to him," said Vijayan.
His long-time close aide and the country's longest-serving Defence Minister A.K.Antony said the loss of Chandy is by far the biggest loss to him and to his family. "...He will go down as the most popular politician in Kerala as even when on his deathbed, his only thinking was how to help people. Kerala will miss Chandy very badly," Antony said, adding that right from 1973, they used to share everything and Chandy was the one who can never be replaced.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and several other party leaders on Tuesday condoled the death of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saying he stood tall as leader of masses and his visionary leadership left an indelible mark on Kerala's progress and the nation's political landscape.
In a tweet, Kharge said, "My humble tribute to the stalwart Oommen Chandy, Former Kerala Chief Minister and a staunch Congress man who stood tall as a leader of the masses. His unwavering commitment and visionary leadership left an indelible mark on Kerala's progress and the nation's political landscape. He will be remembered for his dedication and service to the people."
Recalling him as a pillar of party, who dedicated his life to service, party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, "Deepest condolences to the family of Oommen Chandy. He was a pillar of the Congress party, a leader who dedicated his life to service and was deeply committed to the values we are fighting for today."
"We will all remember him with great respect and miss his wise counsel," she said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also condoled the death of the veteran party leader by calling him an extraordinary personality and a truly mass leader. "A man of great simplicity and unfailing courtesy, he was a 24×7 politician giving everything he had to the welfare of his constituents and of the people of Kerala. His tenure as CM was notable for many achievements that were widely lauded and recognised by the UN as well. I was privileged to have known him for years and still recall our joint visits to various settlements in Attappadi ten years ago," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
