On Thursday morning, Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya passed away at the age of 80. He died at his residence at 8:20 am. after a prolonged illness. Bhattacharya had been struggling with respiratory issues, which had led to his hospitalization.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was the second and last CPM chief minister during the Left Front's 34-year governance of Bengal, serving from 2000 to 2011.

He had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for which he was receiving treatment.

Life of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was born on March 1, 1944, in Kolkata, West Bengal. In the year 1966, he began his political career by joining CPI (M). In 1972, he was elected to the state committee of the party. 

He earned a degree in law from the University of Calcutta and pursued post-graduate studies in English literature at the University of Delhi.

Bhattacharya was a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and represented the Jadavpur constituency. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he focused on industrialization and economic development, notably spearheading initiatives like the establishment of the IT hub in Salt Lake Sector V.

His literary background influenced his approach to educational policies. He advocated for the preservation and promotion of Bengali literary heritage. Bhattacharya’s appreciation for literature also extended to cinema, where he showed support for Bengali filmmakers and their adaptations of literary works.