Jyoti Basu

Jyoti Basu, communist politician from West Bengal, India. Polit Bureau member of Communist Party of India (Marxist). Chief Minister of West Bengal 1977-2000.

Born July 8, 1914 in Calcutta. Grew up in a Bengali middle class family. Basu's father was a judge. He got his school education at St. Xaviers School. He graduated from Presidency College with an hounours degree from the Art Faculty in 1935. After that he travelled to London to study law. Through Bhupesh Gupta Basu was introduced to the Communist Party of Great Britain. Basu became involved in leftist circles of Indian students in England.

In 1940 Basu returned to India. Immediately he became a whole-timer of Communist Party of India. In 1941 he got married for the first time. His wife died shortly after the wedding. Also, the same year his mother died.

In 1944 Basu became involved in trade union activties. CPI delegated him to work amongst the railway labourers. When B.N. Railway Workers Union and B.D. Rail Road Workers Union merged Basu became the general secretary of the union.

In 1946 Basu was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly, contesting the Railway constituency.

In 1948 Basu got married for the second time.

When CPI split in 1964 Basu became a prominent leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist).

In 1967 and 1969 Basu became Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal in the United Front governments.

During the period 1977-2000 Basu was the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the Left Front government. In 2000 he resigned due to health reasons. Basu is the longest-serving Chief Minister in Indian political history.