Who Was Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee? A Bengal CM Who Lived In Rented House & Known For Frugal Lifestyle

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away at 8.20 AM on Thursday at the age of 80. He was a prominent figure in Indian politics, particularly within the Communist Party of India (Marxist), where he served as a member of the Politburo.

Bhattacharjee was the Chief Minister of the state between 2000 and 2011 and was the last CM from the Left Front in Bengal.

Who Was Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?

Born on 1 March 1944 in North Kolkata, completed his schooling at Sailendra Sarkar Vidyalaya and pursued a BA Honours in Bengali from Presidency. His revolutionary spirit led him to join the CPM in 1966, marking the start of a long and eventful career.

Political Journey

In 1977, Bhattacharjee was elected as an MLA for the first time from Cossipore in north Kolkata, coinciding with CPM's rise to power under Jyoti Basu's leadership. Although he lost his seat to Congress' Prafulla Kanti Ghosh in 1982, he made a comeback five years later by winning from the Jadavpur constituency.

Bhattacharjee served as minister of information and culture between 1987 and 1996, followed by a stint as minister of home affairs from 1996 to 1999. His political acumen was recognised when he succeeded Basu as West Bengal CM on 6 November 2000 after Basu stepped down due to health reasons.

Industrialisation Efforts and Challenges

During his first tenure as CM, Bhattacharjee initiated several reforms that spurred industrial growth and IT services across West Bengal. Under his leadership, Bengal's IT industry grew by 70 per cent between 2001 and 2005, an article in The Print notes while recalling Wipro chairman Azim Premji hailing him as the best CM in India.

However, Bhattacharjee's push for industrialisation during his second term faced significant setbacks. The state government encountered major opposition when residents of Nandigram protested against a proposed chemical hub in their village. The situation escalated on 14 March 2007 when police firing resulted in the deaths of 14 protesters.

The Decline of Left Front

The Nano car project by industrialist Ratan Tata at Singur also turned into a debacle due to land acquisition issues. These incidents contributed to the decline of CPM's dominance in West Bengal. In the 2011 assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won decisively, securing 184 seats compared to CPM's mere 40 seats.

Bhattacharjee himself lost his seat in Jadavpur to Trinamool Congress' Manish Gupta. Even Congress managed to win more seats than CPM, securing 42 seats compared to CPM's tally.

Legacy and Final Years

Despite these challenges, Bhattacharjee left an indelible mark on West Bengal's history through his efforts towards development and reform. It has to be noted that his clean image had helped the CPM secure more seats in the 2006 elections, with the party winning 235 seats compared to their previous count of 199 seats.

Interestingly, Bhattacharya was known for his frugal lifestyle. In an affidavit filed with the Election Commission in 2011, he stated that he neither owned a house nor a car, unlike many of his party colleagues. He lived with his wife and daughter in a rented two-room government flat on Palm Avenue in Ballygunge, and his bank account had a modest balance of Rs 5,000.

In contrast, his wife, Mira Bhattacharjee, who worked with Development Consultants Ltd, owned a house in Rajarhat New Town valued at Rs 15 lakh. She had assets totaling over Rs 31.15 lakh. While he had had an income of Rs 1 lakh in 2009-10, his wife's earnings were Rs 6.70 lakh, then, according to a report in The Times Of India.

After five decades of active involvement in politics, Bhattacharjee stepped down from all key responsibilities within the party in 2015. His legacy remains intertwined with both achievements and controversies that shaped West Bengal's political narrative.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya will be remembered for his contributions to Indian politics and his role in shaping West Bengal’s modern history. His tenure saw both progress and turmoil, reflecting the complexities of governance and public service.