Veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy has passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday - July 18 at the age of 79 at a private hospital in Bengaluru. The cohort of opposition leaders who had gathered in the city on Monday for their second round of meeting had visited the hospital and paid last respects to the deceased leader. 

Chandy, who is a renowned political figure across the country, had been getting treated for cancer in Bengaluru for the past few days. Amid the treatment, he breathed his last at 4.25 am on Tuesday and his death was confirmed by his son Chandy Oommen. The latter took to social media and wrote, "Appa has passed away." 

Chandy's political career has left a crucial political legacy and in his decades-long run as a politician, he had served key posts including the post of Chief Minister of Kerala. Chandy had served as the Chief Minister of Kerala twice - from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2016. He played a vital role in building the Congress party in Kerala and he has been regarded as a reputed leader in the state. 

Chandy had begun his political journey as a student leader in 1967 and he entered the Kerala legislative assembly from the Puthupally constituency, that later became his citadel. Interestingly, Chandy was also the longest-serving member of the Kerala Assembly after being elected 12 times consecutively from the Puthupally constituency from 1970 to 2021.

Chandy had also served as the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He became the Minister for the first time in 1977 as he was appointed as the Labour Minister in the cabinet led by the then Chief Minister K Karunakaran. When AK Antony assumed the office of the Chief Minister following Karukaran's resignation, Chandy continued his stint as the Labour Minister. 

Later in December 1981, Chandy had become the Home Minister of Kerala and also served as the Finance Minister in 1991 under the administration led by the United Democractic Front (UDF). While Chandy was serving as the Congress convenor in 2004, he became the Chief Minister of Kerala for the first time after AK Antony stepped down from the post.

Though he had brief stint as the Chief Minister for the first time as his tenure came to an end in 2006 after the Congress party was defeated by Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M), Chandy's second tenure as the Chief Minister from 2011 to 2016 had completed its fullest term. In 2006, after the Congress party lost the elections, Chandy was made the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly. 

Chandy, who had garnered a strong support from the people, had been credited with the hugely successful 'Mass Contact' programme that was launched while he was serving as the Chief Minister. Under the scheme, Chandy had directly listened to people's woes and issuing orders to officials on the spot. Chandy had actively engaged in the scheme as he had spent 12 to 19 hours meeting people at each venue. 

This unprecedented scheme had benefitted over one million people and the success of the scheme had conferred Chandy with the United Nations Public Service Award in the Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service category. In the 2016 assembly polls, the Congress party was defeated again by the CPI(M) and this time, CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan became the Chief Minister while Chandy was made the Leader of Opposition. 

Pinarayi Vijayan won again in the 2021 assembly polls and in the wake of health consequences, Chandy limited his politics and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was made the Leader of Opposition. Chandy was battling with throat cancer for a long time and he was staying in Bengaluru for his treatment. Earlier this February, Chandy was taken to hospital during which his son announced that Chandy was diagnosed with pneumonia. 

In February, he was admitted to a hospital in Kerala and during his hospitalization, the Kerala government had set up a medical board to ensure the best treatment for the veteran leader. Recently, he was again taken to Bengaluru for further treatments and amid being treated, he had breathed his last on Tuesday - July 18 at the age of 79. Oommen Chandy is survived by his wife Mariamma Oommen and three children - Maria Oommen, Achu Oommen, and Chandy Oommen.

After learning about his demise, several national leaders had expressed their condolences to the bereaving families. Notably, as the tenth Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy would perhaps be the only Chief Minister in India to serve with many Governors. In just five years from 2011 to 2016 when Chandy was serving as the Chief Minister for the second time, Kerala had six Governors.