Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy dies at 79
Thiruvananthapuram(ANI)- Former Kerala Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy died during the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, media reports said. The politician was hospitalised at Chinmaya Hospital in Bengaluru.
He was 79 and had been undergoing treatment for cancer.
Oommen Chandy represented the Puthupally constituency in Kottayam district for more than 50 years. He was the MLA from Puthupally.
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Chandy first represented Puthupally in 1970 when he was the Youth Congress president. He became a minister for the first time in the K Karunakaran cabinet in 1977. He was appointed Chief Minister twice. He handled the finance portfolio in the state and had also been the Leader of Opposition.
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi tweets
Oommen Chandy ji was an exemplary grassroots Congress leader. He will be remembered for his lifelong service to the people of Kerala.
We will miss him dearly. Much love and condolences to all his loved ones. pic.twitter.com/QL8pGJrXwW
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 18, 2023
Oommen Chandy ji was an exemplary grassroots Congress leader. He will be remembered for his lifelong service to the people of Kerala. We will miss him dearly. Much love and condolences to all his loved ones.
Chandy was a leader who was known for always being approachable to his constituents. His programme “Janasambarka paripady” which was launched to hear people’s complaints when he was the Chief Minister was very popular.
Following his sickness, he had been undergoing treatment in the U.S. and he reportedly continued the treatment in Bengaluru.
Kerala Congress President K Sudhakaran condoled the death of the former Kerala Chief Minister.
Prime Minister of India, Sh. Narendra Modi, expressed grief over his death and tweets some old pictures, with Sh. Oommen Chandy
In the passing away of Shri Oommen Chandy Ji, we have lost a humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked towards the progress of Kerala. I recall my various interactions with him, particularly when we both served as Chief Ministers of our… pic.twitter.com/S6rd22T24j
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2023
“The tale of the king who triumphed over the world with the power of ‘love’ finds its poignant end. Today, I am deeply saddened by the loss of a legend, @Oommen_Chandy. He touched the lives of countless individuals, and his legacy will forever resonate within our souls,” Sudhakaran tweeted.
Oommen Chandy is survived by his wife Mariamma and children Maria Oommen, Chandy Oommen and Achu Oommen.