Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Passes Away: Former West Bengal CM Dies at 80

Former West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran Left leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee died at his residence in Kolkata on Thursday morning, August 8. He was 80-years-old. He had been suffering from respiratory problems that led to frequent hospitalisations.

In 2023, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on life support, but the veteran CPM leader made a comeback. Bhattacharjee was survived by his wife Meera and son Suchetan.

Bhattacharjee was a former member of the CPM's top decision-making body and served as West Bengal CM from 2000 to 2011. Bhattacharjee led the CPM into the 2011 state polls when the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress posted a historic win, ending the 34-year Communist rule in the eastern state.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Education also worked as a school teacher at Presidency College in Kolkata, before joining politics full-time. He served as MLA and a state minister before becoming Deputy Chief Minister when Basu stepped down in 2000.