Former West Bengal Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away at his Kolkata home on Thursday morning following a prolonged illness. He was 80 and is survived by his wife Mira and daughter Suchetana.

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

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“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

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Bhattacharjee had been hospitalized at a private facility in Alipore on July 29, 2023, with a lower respiratory tract infection and Type 2 respiratory failure. He had struggled with COPD and other age-related health issues.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s Political Career

Assuming office in 2000, Bhattacharjee succeeded Jyoti Basu as Chief Minister. During the 34 years of Left Front rule in Bengal, Bhattacharjee was the second and final CPM chief minister, serving for 11 consecutive years. His tenure ended with a loss to Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in the 2011 assembly elections, marking the end of the CPI(M)-led Left Front’s 34-year rule—a loss from which the party has yet to recover.

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His Life In Later Years

In recent years, Bhattacharjee remained out of the public eye due to his declining health, residing in his Palm Avenue apartment. His last public appearance was at a 2019 Left rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, where he surprised attendees by showing up with oxygen support. Bhattacharjee stepped down from the CPI(M)’s Politburo and Central Committee in 2015 and left the party’s state secretariat in 2018.

Personal Life Of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

Bhattacharjee is survived by his wife Mira and daughter Suchetana. The family has lived in a two-room apartment in Ballygunge, Kolkata. Bhattacharjee, known for his frugal lifestyle, operated as Chief Minister from the same residence. Despite belonging to a family of priests, he was an avowed atheist, in line with communist principles.