Darling of the masses, and a fiery Opposition leader

A dominant figure in Kerala politics for several decades and a founding member of the CPI(M), former chief minister Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as Comrade VS or simply VS, died at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

- SHAJU PHILIP

A dominant figure in Kerala politics for several decades and a founding member of the CPI(M), former chief minister Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as Comrade VS or simply VS, died at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He was 101 years old. He had been away from public life since 2019, when he suffered a stroke. One month ago, he was admitted to a hospital following a cardiac arrest and had been on life support since then.

Achuthanandan was one of the 32 leaders of the undivided Communist Party of India to walk out in 1964 and form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He served as Kerala chief minister from 2006 to 2011, and as Opposition leader for three terms—1991–1996, 2001–2006 and 2011–2016.