Kolkata: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, veteran Left leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, passed away at his south Kolkata residence this morning at the age of 80. He had been unwell for some time, suffering from respiratory problems that frequently required hospitalisation. Last year, he was placed on life support after contracting pneumonia but managed to recover.
He is survived by his wife Meera and son Suchetan.
Mr. Bhattacharjee, who also served on the CPM’s top decision-making body, the Politburo, was West Bengal’s Chief Minister from 2000 to 2011, succeeding Jyoti Basu. He led the CPM in the 2011 state elections, where the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress achieved a historic victory, ending the 34-year Communist rule in the state.
An alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, Mr. Bhattacharjee was a school teacher before transitioning to full-time politics. He served as an MLA and state minister before being promoted to Deputy Chief Minister, ultimately succeeding Mr. Basu in 2000. As Chief Minister, he led the CPM to Assembly poll victories in 2001 and 2006.
During his tenure, the Left Front government adopted a more business-friendly approach compared to the Jyoti Basu regime. Ironically, this policy, along with land acquisitions for industrialisation, contributed to the Left’s stunning defeat in the 2011 election.
The Trinamool Congress, which secured only 30 seats in the 2006 elections, spearheaded the movement against the Tata Motors plant in Singur. In 2008, Ratan Tata decided to relocate the project to Gujarat, citing the agitation led by Ms. Banerjee as the reason. This was a significant setback for Mr. Bhattacharjee’s government. Additionally, the violence in Nandigram, where police action against protesters opposing land acquisition for a chemical hub project resulted in 14 deaths, was equally damaging.
Ms. Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress capitalized on the anti-incumbency sentiment against the Left Front and the negative perception of the state government’s land acquisition policies, winning 184 seats in the 2011 election. The Left’s defeat in 2011 marked the beginning of a decline from which it has yet to recover. Over the next decade, the BJP emerged as the main opposition, reducing the Left to a minor force in a state it once dominated for decades.
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose expressed his condolences to Mr. Bhattacharjee’s family. In her condolence message, Chief Minister Banerjee, who had a long association with the veteran Left leader, said, “I am very upset. My condolences to Meera di, Suchetan, and all supporters of CPM.” Leader of the Opposition, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, expressed his deep sadness at the news and extended his condolences to Mr. Bhattacharjee’s family and admirers.
Image credit: NDTV.COM
