Agartala, Jan. 4: Former Tripura chief minister and sitting Congress MLA Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder passed away late last night, succumbing to a massive cardiac arrest at home. He was 72.
An acute diabetic, Mazumder had spent yesterday doing his normal political work at his Gandhighat residence and supped at 12:30 at night. Mazumder suffered a massive cardiac arrest after he went to the bathroom and collapsed on the floor.
He was instantly rushed to G.B. Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Many dignitaries, including chief minister Manik Sarkar, visited Mazumder’s home to pay his tribute. Senior Congress leader Tapas De said Congress leaders and workers would pay homage to Mazumder at Congress Bha-wan. The cremation will take place in the evening at Battala burning ghat after a tour through the state Assembly and secretariat.
Mazumder is survived by his wife Milan Prava Deb (Mazumder).
Mazumder began his political career in the Congress and rose to the status of general secretary before becoming MLA for two consecutive terms (1983-92) from Khayerpur Assembly constituency, east of Agartala and then from Town Bardowali constituency in the heart of the town. On the second occasion, he became the chief minister after the Congress-TUJS combine had inflicted a shock defeat on the Left Front in the February 1988 election. After being ousted as chief minister because of a factional feud in February 1992, Mauzmder was nominated for Rajya Sabha polls that he duly won. Having lost the Assembly election in 1998, Mazumder was in political wilderness for a brief while but managed to win a seat in the state Assembly comfortably from his old Town Bardowali constituency in February 2008.
Known for his amiable and eminently accessible style, Mazumder had a large following all over the state. The state Congress described his death as an “irreparable loss. His death has left a big void in state politics and it will be difficult for us to make up,” said PCC spokesman Ratan Chakraborty.
At least three aspirants will now vie for the Town Bardowali seat.
