City
Epaper

Indisposed ex-West Bengal CM Buddhadeb fails to vote

By IANS | Updated: May 19, 2019 20:25 IST

An indisposed former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee did not cast his vote on Sunday in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls.

Open in App

The CPI-M stalwart is suffering from a progressive lung problem - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - and could not come out of his Palm Avenue residence to exercise his franchise, party sources said.

Bhattacharjee, suffering from the disease for years, now has to frequently resort to oxygen support for breathing properly. He also has a severe eye problem.

"He could not come," said his wife Meera Bhattacharjee, who cast her vote along with the couple's only daughter Suchetana.

However, she evaded giving any categorical reply to a direct question on whether the former CPI-M Politburo member could not come due to his health condition.

On whether Bhattacharjee was fine healthwise, she gave a short reply: "Yes".

Bhattacharjee was seen last in public on Februry 3, when he visited the Brigade Parade Ground to attend a rally called by the Left Front.

However, his was only a token presence, as he was not permitted by doctors to step out of his car because of the dust on the ground. He returned home after spending some time in his vehicle at the ground.

Bhattacharjee, who was Chief Minister from 2000-2011, undertook an all-out industrialisation drive to reduce unemployment in the state, but the measure proved counter-productive.

As his government tried to acquire land for setting up industries, the farmers revolted, and the Trinamool Congress fanned the discontent to gain in popularity and finally came to power in 2011, ending 34 years of Left Front rule.

Tags: Bhattacharjee
Open in App

Related Stories

For 1st time in 525 yrs, no animal sacrifice in Tripura temple

New documentary on village split by India-Bangladesh fence

Ex-Bengal CM Bhattacharjee's condition stable (3rd Lead)

Ex-Bengal CM Bhattacharjee's condition stable (2nd Lead)

Ex-Bengal CM's condition stable, on antibiotic

National Realted Stories

NationalPresident Droupadi Murmu to Attend Pope Francis' Funeral in Vatican City on April 26

NationalEmbankment construction by B'desh: Cong urges Tripura govt to resolve issue

NationalPahalgam terror attack: Indus Waters Treaty kept at abeyance, India informs Pak

NationalGujarat: Vadodara Police intensify security checks after Pahalgam terror attack

NationalBengal recruitment scam case: Parallel protests by both 'genuine' and 'tainted' candidates start