Comrades tweet ‘red salute’

New Delhi: Veteran Communist Party of India leader A.B. Bardhan, who steered the party during the turbulent period of coalition politics at national level in 1990s, died here on Saturday night after prolonged illness. Mr Bardhan, 92, is survived by son Ashok and daughter Alka. His wife, a professor in Nagpur University, died in 1986.

Mr Bardhan was admitted to G.B. Pant hospital here after he suffered paralytic stroke last month. Dr Vinod Puri, Director and Professor of Neurology in GB Pant Hospital, said Bardhan “died at 8:20 pm. He had a brain stroke due to blockage in the middle cerebral artery. He was in comma.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Raja said the condition of Bardhan had “worsened” with his blood pressure levels falling. “Condition of Comrade Bardhan has worsened today. He was put off ventilator on Friday and was able to breath normally. But today, his blood pressure (level) fell and his condition has turned very critical now,” CPI national secretary D Raja said.

Mr Bardhan, who lived in the CPI headquarters in the national capital, was admitted to the hospital on December 7 after he felt uneasiness and lost consciousness. Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan has been a leading figure of the trade union movement and Left politics in Maharashtra.

Mr Bardhan entered the electoral politics in 1957 when he won as an Independent candidate in Maharashtra Assembly polls but failed to achieve success in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls.

He later became the General Secretary and then President of All India Trade Union Congress, the oldest trade union in India. Mr Bardhan had moved to Delhi politics in 1990s and became the Deputy General Secretary of CPI. He succeeded Indrajit Gupta as General Secretary of the party in 1996.

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury paid tributes to Bardhan saying his wisdom, experience and guidance will be missed. “Red salute, Comrade Bardhan. We miss your wisdom, experience & guidance,” he tweeted.