The Marxist leader took over as the chief minister of Bengal in 2000 from senior party leader Jyoti Basu. He remained in the post till 2011, handling a tenure marked by agitations over the acquisition of land for industries led by the present Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bhattacharya lost the 2011 assembly election to Banerjee's TMC and the CPI(M)-led Left Front's 34-year-long rule in the state came to an end that year.
