Thiruvananthapuram, 21 July

Former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected Communist leaders and a key figure in Kerala's political history, died on Monday at the age of 101, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said here.

The veteran leader died at a private hospital here while undergoing treatment following a cardiac arrest nearly a month ago, he told reporters.

Achuthanandan, a founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was a lifelong champion of workers' rights, land reforms, and social justice.

He served as Kerala's Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was elected to the state assembly seven times, serving three terms as Leader of the Opposition.