V S Achuthanandan's mortal remains reach Alappuzha after being delayed by crowd all the way

Alappuzha: The procession carrying the mortal remains of former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan reached his hometown, Alappuzha, on Wednesday morning, significantly delayed from its official schedule.

An unprecedented surge of mourners from all walks of life, paying their last respects to the Marxist veteran, delayed the final journey of the stalwart-- a tireless advocate for the working class across his eight-decade political career.

The bus, carrying the body of Achuthanandan, began the journey from Thiruvananthapuram to the coastal town by 2 pm on Tuesday afternoon. It could enter Alappuzha district only by 6.45 am on Wednesday.

A journey of around 150 kilometres, which normally takes over four hours, was delayed this much due to the heavy turnout of ordinary people and Achuthanandan's hardcore admirers who thronged waysides to catch a final glimpse of him.

Braving the night and rain, thousands of people waited on roads with flowers in hand to pay their tributes.

His cremation is scheduled to take place at the public crematorium at Valiya Chudukadu here later in the day, party sources added.

The veteran leader died at 3.20 pm on Monday while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of Pattom SUT Hospital. He had been receiving treatment since June 23 following a cardiac arrest.

A founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Achuthanandan was a lifelong champion of workers' rights, land reforms, and social justice.

He served as Kerala's Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was elected to the state assembly seven times, serving three terms as Leader of the Opposition.