Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy passes away, state announces two-day official mourning
Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy passed away at 79 on Tuesday while undergoing treatment in Bengaluru.
FollowBengaluru: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy passed away on Tuesday (July 18). He was 79. The news of the passing away of the veteran Congress leader was shared by his son Chandy Oommen. He breathed his last at Chinmaya Mission Hospital in Bengaluru at 4.25 am. The Congress stalwart suffered from throat cancer.
"Appa has passed away", Oommen wrote on his Facebook page.
The deceased leader had been ill since 2019, and throughout the course of the previous year, he had treatment at the Charite Hospital in Berlin, the NIMS Medicity in Thiruvananthapuram, and the Health Care Global Enterprises in Bengaluru.
He began his political career as president of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), where he held the position from 1967 to 1969. In 1970, he won the election for State Youth Congress president. Chandy served as Kerala's chief minister twice and has been the Puthuppally constituency's representative in the state Assembly since 1970.
In the Kerala Assembly, he has the most years of service. From 1970 until 2021, Chandy won 12 consecutive elections from the Puthupally constituency.
Since 1970, he has served as the State Assembly's MLA for the Puthuppally constituency. He was the Kerala Legislative Assembly's longest-serving MLA and the only Indian Chief Minister to receive a United Nations award for public service.
In the first Karunakaran cabinet (1977) and the first Antony cabinet (1977–1978), he served as Minister of Labour twice. Chandy received the Home Department in the second Karunakaran Cabinet (1981–1982). In the fourth Karunakaran Cabinet, from 1991 to 1994, he also held the position of Finance Minister.
Chandy was a leader who made himself readily available to his people. When he was the Chief Minister, he started the "Janasambarka paripady" project to address the grievances of the people.
The veteran Congress leader is survived by his wife Mariamma Oommen, and children Maria Oommen, Achu Oommen and Chandy Oommen.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep sadness over the death of former CM Oommen Chandy. He said, "In the same year, we both won seats in the Legislative Assembly. We first became politically prominent through student life at the same time. We shared a public life together, so saying goodbye to him is quite painful. Oommen Chandy was a capable administrator and a person who was closely involved in people's lives."
The state government of Kerala declared Tuesday a holiday in honour of the late Oommen Chandy, the former chief minister of the state. Additionally, the government has declared two official days of mourning.
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