Former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan passes away at 101

Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan, one of India’s most respected Communist figures and a key presence in Kerala’s political history, died on Monday at the age of 101, drawing the curtain on an eight-decade-long fierce struggle for the proletariat that the southern state had witnessed. The veteran leader died at 3.20 pm while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of Pattom SUT Hospital, according to an official bulletin issued by the hospital. Achuthanandan had been receiving treatment since June 23, following a cardiac arrest.
A lifelong fighter for the rights of disadvantaged sections and a towering presence in State politics, Achuthanandan had withdrawn from public life after he suffered a minor stroke in 2019. He had been the leader of opposition from 2001 to 2006. In 2006, he led the CPM led Left Democratic Front to victory and served as the Chief Minister of Kerala till 2011. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers, CPM State Secretary MV Govindan, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other political leaders paid condolences to the veteran leader.
Since stepping down as Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission in January 2021, Achuthanandan had been living alternately with his son and daughter in Thiruvananthapuram. His own residence in Alappuzha, which he had built during his long political career, remained closed. Achuthanandan was a towering figure in Kerala’s political landscape. As Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2006, he relentlessly attacked the then A.K. Antony-led UDF government. His populist stance and uncompromising image earned him admiration across party lines, particularly among apolitical and first-time voters.
He led the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) to victory in the 2006 Assembly elections and served as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. In 2011, he once again spearheaded the LDF campaign and came close to securing a second term. However, the Oommen Chandy-led UDF narrowly won, securing 72 seats in the 140-member Assembly.