Left leader dies in Tripura

AGARTALA - Ela Bhattacharjee, a leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and mother-in-law of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, died here Monday night. She was 89.

Bhattacharjee, a teacher-turned-Communist, was not keeping well for the past five years. She died at her residence at Krishnanagar here.

She is survived by a son and five daughters, a family source said Tuesday.

“She was suffering from various old-age ailments,” the source said.

Bhattacharjee’s daughter Panchali Bhattacharjee, wife of Manik Sarkar and a social activist, told IANS: “My mother was the first woman member of the Rajya Sabha from Tripura for six years (1980-1986).”

Ela Bhattacharjee had spearheaded the women’s movement in Tripura for many years. The cremation was held Tuesday afternoon.