Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passes away

KOLKATA: Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee died on Thursday at his Kolkata home, CPI(M) state secretary Mohd Salim said.

He was suffering from old age-related ailments.

The former chief minister was 80 and is survived by his wife Mira and daughter Suchetana.

A party official said Bhattacharjee died at around 8.30 am.

The veteran CPI(M) leader took over as the chief minister of West Bengal in 2000 from party senior Jyoti Basu.

Bhattacharya lost the 2011 assembly election to Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front’s 34-year-long rule in the state came to an end that year.

His tenure was marked by agitations over the acquisition of land for industries led by present Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.