Former Kerala Chief Minister (CM) and veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader VS Achuthanandan passed away on Monday at the age of 101, party state secretary MV Govindan said.

The veteran leader passed away at 3.20 pm while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of Pattom SUT Hospital, an official bulletin issued by the facility stated.

Achuthanandan, one of the country’s most respected Communist figures and a key presence in Kerala`s political history, had been receiving treatment since June 23, following a cardiac arrest, reported PTI.