Former Kerala CM and Communist Stalwart VS Achuthanandan Passes Away at 101

Veteran Communist leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, V.S. Achuthanandan, passed away on Monday afternoon at the age of 101. He breathed his last at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where he had been under intensive care since June 23 after suffering a heart attack.

His mortal remains will be taken to Alappuzha on Tuesday, and the last rites will be performed on Wednesday, party sources confirmed.

A Life Dedicated to the People

VS Achuthanandan, often described as the “voice of the voiceless,” had been a powerful force in Kerala’s political and social landscape for nearly five decades. A founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), he served as Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011 and held the position of Leader of the Opposition three times.

He stepped back from active politics in 2019 due to age and health concerns.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan, along with other senior leaders, visited the hospital before the announcement of his demise.

In a statement, the CPI(M) said:

“We salute Comrade V.S. Achuthanandan—an architect of Kerala’s progressive journey, a voice of the voiceless, and a lifelong champion of the working class.”

The party also said:

“Red Salute to Comrade V S Achuthanandan! His life of struggle and unwavering dedication to the cause of the people will forever be an inspiration.”

Achuthanandan entered politics through trade union activism and rose through the ranks of the Communist movement. Though he lost his first election from Ambalappuzha in 1965, he later emerged as one of the party’s most influential mass leaders. He served as an MLA from Ambalappuzha, Mararikulam, and Malampuzha constituencies, with his last election being in 2016.

He was inducted into the CPM Politburo in 1985, but stepped down from the executive committee in 2009 due to ideological differences.

During his tenure as Chief Minister, Achuthanandan was known for his crackdown on land encroachment in Munnar, initiatives like the Vallarpadam terminal, and the development of IT parks in Kollam and Cherthala. He also launched strong drives against the lottery mafia, pushed for the Kannur airport proposal, and reclaimed paddy fields from illegal conversion.

Born in 1923 to Sankaran and Accamma in Punnapra, a region notable for its historic Communist uprising, Achuthanandan’s political journey was shaped by the Alappuzha Declaration of 1970, which marked his leadership in implementing land reforms across the state.

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