Thiruvananthapuram, July 23: V.S. Achuthanandan, veteran communist leader and former Chief Minister of the southern Indian state of Kerala, died on Monday at the age of 101, a government spokesperson said. His funeral will be held with full state honours on July 23.
Achuthanandan, a towering figure in Kerala’s Left politics, died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where he had been admitted on June 23 following a heart attack and age-related complications.
One of the last surviving links to India’s early communist movement and its freedom struggle, Achuthanandan served as Kerala’s Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. Known for his combative style and anti-corruption stance, he led several high-profile legal battles during his tenure, including against land encroachments.
Achuthanandan had largely withdrawn from public life after suffering a mild stroke in 2019 and had been living with his son in Thiruvananthapuram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, and political leaders across party lines paid tribute to the veteran leader. “An unwavering voice for the downtrodden and a stalwart of Indian politics,” Modi wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The Kerala government said preparations are underway for the cremation ceremony, which will take place on Tuesday with full state honours.
