Communist Veteran, Mass Leader VS Achuthanandan Dies At 101

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: V S Achuthanandan, veteran Communist leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, July 21. He was 101 years old.

He was hospitalised on Monday, 23 June, after suffering a cardiac attack. Though he has been admitted to the ICU, hospital authorities later confirmed his current condition is stable.

Also Read | VS Achuthanandan Hospitalised After Cardiac Arrest, Condition Stable

Achuthanandan, popularly known as ‘VS’, is a founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)  CPI(M), formed in 1964 as a breakaway from the Communist Party of India (CPI).  He is considered the oldest living Communist leader in India.

Due to age-related health issues, Achuthanandan had been out of active politics and was living an assisted life with his wife at his son V A Arunkumar’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram.

Born into a family of agricultural workers at Punappara in Alappuzha in 1923, the Communist leader is a towering figure in Kerala’s political history and is considered the ‘man of the masses’. From 1980 to 1991, he served as the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) three times.

Also Read | VS Achuthanandan: Communist To The Core And A Relentless Crusader For The People

Achuthanandan served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011 and also held the position of Leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly for 15 years. He got elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 and served as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2005.