Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bhattacharjee in 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Chief Minister of West Bengal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 November 2000 – 20 May 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jyoti Basu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mamata Banerjee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 January 1999 – 5 November 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Minister | Jyoti Basu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Bijoy Singh Nahar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Vacant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Polit Bureau, Communist Party of India (Marxist) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2002 – 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 March 1944 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 August 2024 (aged 80) Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cause of death | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Meera Bhattacharjee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Sukanta Bhattacharya (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Suchetan (Born: Suchetana) Bhattacharjee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Presidency College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (1 March 1944 – 8 August 2024) was an Indian communist politician, statesman and a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who served as the 7th Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011. In a political career over five decades, he became one of the senior leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist) during his regime.
Bhattacharjee described himself as a "communist compromising with capitalism" for promoting industrialization in West Bengal, but his efforts were undermined by controversies. He was known for his relatively open policies regarding business, in contrast with the previous financial policies of the CPI(M), which were primarily anti-capitalist. However, he faced strong land acquisition protests and allegations about violence against the protesters. This led Bhattacharjee to lose the 2011 elections, resulting in the fall of Left Front's 34 years of rule in West Bengal.