New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): Congress MP Hibi Eden stated that VS Achuthanandan, who passed away on Monday, was one of the most experienced and senior leaders of the CPI(M) in the country.

"V.S. Achuthanandan is one of the most experienced and one of the most senior CPI(M) leaders in the country. He had clear convictions about the ideology. He was a person who had been a part of the people's moments in the state. Whenever he has taken up an issue, he has made sure that the issue is brought to light...", Hibi Eden said in his tributes while speaking to ANI.

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Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala CM V S Achuthanandan passed away on Monday at the age of 101.He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thiruvananthpuram after a cardiac arrest.

"We salute Comrade V.S. Achuthanandan--an architect of Kerala's progressive journey, a voice of the voiceless, and a lifelong champion of the working class," the CPIM said in a statement.

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"Red Salute to Comrade V S Achuthanandan! Veteran communist leader and Former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan passed away at the age of 101 on July 21. His life of struggle and unwavering dedication to the cause of the people will forever be an inspiration," it said.

Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011.He was also the longest-serving opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, holding the position for 15 years.

Achuthanandan was a founding member of the CPM. He served as the Secretary of the CPM Kerala State Committee from 1980 to 1992. He was the LDF convener between 1996 and 2000, and Leader of the Opposition in three separate terms--1992 to 1996, 2001 to 2006, and 2011 to 2016. (ANI)

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