Veteran Communist leader and former Tripura minister Keshab Majumder died here on Thursday after a prolonged illness, party and official sources said. He was 88.

His wife had passed away five years ago, and he is survived by a son and a daughter.

Majumder, who was Health, Revenue, and Power Minister in the Left Front government (1993-2003), had joined the undivided Communist Party in 1958 and elected to the Tripura Assembly for a record seven times since 1977.

A teacher turned politician, Majumder joined the Communist Party of India-Marxist in 1964 and was a member of the party till his last breath.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, former Chief Minister and Majumder’s student Manik Sarkar and other leaders condoled the death. Tripura Assembly members observed two minutes of silence as a mark of respect to the departed leader after Speaker Biswabandhu Sen read the condolence message.

Majumder’s last rites were performed on Thursday night at Chanbon (Udaipur) mass cremation ground in Gomati district with full state honours.