NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Veteran leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who is also a former Chief Minister of India's West Bengal state, died Thursday in the state's capital Kolkata.

The 80-year-old died at around 8:20 a.m. local time in his south Kolkata residence, the party said in a statement.

CPI-M members said Bhattacharya had been unwell for some time and had been suffering from respiratory problems that led to frequent hospitalizations.

Bhattacharya served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011.

"He was a political stalwart who served the state with commitment," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his condolence message posted on social media. Enditem

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