Kolkata, Aug 9 (UNI) "Long live Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Amar Rahe" rent the air as the last and final journey of former West Bengal chief minister and the Marxist leader was on the way to state assembly house on Friday.
Bhattacharjee (80), who had held several ministries in the Left Front government for 27 years and remained CM between 2000-2011, passed away at his Palm Avenue flat on Thursday morning.
In 1977, Bhattacharjee, by then a member of the CPM’s state committee, made his debut as a legislator from Cossipore Belgachia and was made the minister of information and public relations. Bhattacharjee lost the Assembly polls in 1982 and then shifted to Jadavpur, where he was an MLA until 2011.
The body was kept at the Peace World in Topsia last night and was taken out around 1030 hours for the state assembly, where most of the political leaders from the ruling Trinamool Congress, BJP, Congress, and other LF constituents, besides CPIM) leaders paid their last respect to the departed soul.
Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, Firhad Hakim, TMC MP and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, many BJP MLAs, and scores of common people paid their respects.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the home of Bhattacharya at Palm Avenue, was away in Jhargram to attend a meeting of the tribal people there.
She advised all her ministers and party leaders to ensure the peaceful journey of her predecessor.
Bhattacharjee's wife, Meera Bhattacharjee, and son were present on the last journey.
The body was draped with red flags and red roses as the bereaved followers chanted " Long live Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Buddhadev Bhattacharjee Amar Rahe,' as the convoy moved at snail pace from Peace World to the state assembly near Eden Gardens.
The body would then be taken to Alimuddin Street, the CPI (M) headquarters in central Kolkata, and then to the Dinesh Majumdar Bhawan, where the party supporters would respect their departed comrade, who breathed his last at age 80 after having breakfast on Thursday morning.
The eyes of Bhattacharjee were already donated on Thursday, and the body would be taken to the NRS Hospital in the city for medical purposes.
Bhattacharjee's last wish was in 2016 to donate his body for medical research.
Bhattacharjee, the last Marxist chief minister, succeeded Jyoti Basu and was at the helm till May 2011, when the TMC came to power.
Bhattacharjee breathed his last at around 8.20 am on Thursday.
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