Kolkata: Veteran politician and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee breathed his last Thursday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 80.
CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim said the last chief minister of the Left Front had bravely fought his long illness. “Today his health deteriorated and doctors tried to revive him but weren’t successful. It is a gloomy day for us. We will continue to take forward his legacy,” he said.
The state secretary said the mortal remains would be taken to the CPI(M) office in Kolkata Friday morning for leaders and workers to pay their last respects. This would be followed by a procession.
Salim also informed the media that the former CM had donated his body for medical research and a decision would be taken later on which hospital would receive it.
Bhattacharjee is survived by his wife Meera and his daughter Suchetana, who came out as a trans man last year.
An alumnus of Kolkata’s Presidency College, Bhattacharjee joined the CPI(M) in 1966, and a decade later, fought his first election from Cossipore in North Kolkata.
In 1999, then chief minister Jyoti Basu had handpicked Bhattacharjee as his deputy CM. In 2000, in a smooth transition of power, Basu made Bhattacharjee his successor after serving the state’s top post for 23 years. Bhattachrajee retained power in the 2001 state polls. Ten years later, the Trinamool Congress ended Left rule in Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to X to express her grief and condolences to his family. “Shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of the former Chief Minister Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. I have known him for the last several decades and visited him a few times when he was ill and effectively confined to home in the last few years…We have already taken a decision that we shall give him full respect and ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites,” she said.
Shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of the former Chief Minister Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. I have been knowing him for last several decades, and visited him a few times when he was ill and effectively confined to home in the last few years.
My very sincere condolences…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 8, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a post on X: “Saddened by the passing of Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former CM of West Bengal. He was a political stalwart who served the state with commitment. My heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”
Saddened by the passing of Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former CM of West Bengal. He was a political stalwart who served the state with commitment. My heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge too condoled his death in a social media post.
My deepest condolences on the passing away of Former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
He served the people in a political career spanning more than five decades.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and comrades. pic.twitter.com/jsT0FbCNdl
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 8, 2024
‘End of an era’
Politicians across party lines, industrialists and citizens gathered at South Kolkata’s Palm Avenue to pay their last respects to the departed leader. Bhattacharjee was last seen in public in 2019, when he attempted to reach the CPI(M)’s brigade rally at Red Road but due to breathing difficulties, remained inside his car near the venue.
He stayed in a two-room apartment at Palm Avenue. Even as chief minister, he worked from here where his books were his prized possessions. Bhattacharjee, who took great interest in art, would frequently visit cultural hub Nandan, and hosted theatre groups and festivals near Writers Building, the former state secretariat.
After office, Bhattacharjee would visit Nandan and blend in with the crowd to stay low key as he watched films.
Actor Ushasie Chakraborty, daughter of another CPI(M) old hand Shyamal Chakraborty, said: “Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was a symbol of honesty and clean politics. With him passing away, I hope no attempts are made to erase this history of clean politics. It’s a loss for Bengal today.”
In 2016, Bhattacharya and Rahul Gandhi shared the stage in Kolkata’s Park Circus maidan. Amid ‘Vande Bharat’ and ‘Inqalab Zindabad’ slogans, they gave a joint call for victory in the assembly polls against TMC.
Bhattacharya was quoted in news reports as having called it a “rare” meeting in the country’s political history. “You can very well understand the significance of this meet. Kolkata has not witnessed this before. This is rare in the country’s political history.”
This forged his strong bond with the Congress, otherwise a traditional rival.
Nano, Nandigram his Achilles Heel
Buddhadeb Bhattachrjee envisioned an industrial revolution of sorts for the agrarian-dominated Bengal economy and set up the IT sector during his first term as CM. However, his second term was marked by controversies after he inked a deal with Tata to set up the Nano manufacturing plant in Singur.
Widespread farmers’ protests and pressure from Mamata Banerjee, then opposition leader of Bengal, reversed the agreement and Bengal lost the factory to Surat.
Violence around the setting up of a chemical hub in Nandigram was also resisted and eventually catapulted Mamata Banerjee as a giant slayer, ultimately ending the Left’s 34-year rule.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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