India's Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu dead

Jyoti Basu, the patriarch of Indian Communism whose pragmatic politics twice saw him coming close to becoming Prime Minister, died on Sunday. He was 95. "Jyoti Basu played the role of the elderly patriarch whose more mature, considered view and his ability to retain the broadbase of support were very important," political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan told Reuters.

Basu died from multiple organ failure. A London-trained barrister, he served as Chief Minister of West Bengal for 23 consecutive years.

He led the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) which is at the head of a ruling leftist coalition in West Bengal.

Basu retired from active politics a decade ago, but had maintained an active interest in the party, playing the role of a crisis manager and political arbitrator.

Basu was offered the job of Prime Minister twice in 1996, but declined due to opposition from within his party. He described that decision as an "historic blunder" in an open criticism of a section of his party's dogmatic ideologues. His staid and sometimes brusque style earned him the sobriquet of "a field marshal in a gentleman's garb". His favoured attire was a white flowing shift and an Indian wraparound.

Reuters