On the morning of June 23, former Chief Minister of Kerala and prominent Communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan was admitted to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram following a heart attack. As he approaches his 101st birthday on October 20, 2024, reports indicate that his condition is currently stable. Achuthanandan had been experiencing health issues for some time and had been living a quiet, retired life.

Affectionately known as VS, Achuthanandan served as Kerala's Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 and was the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly for 15 years. His influence in Kerala's political landscape has been significant over the decades. Born in 1923 in Punappara, Alappuzha, he hailed from a family of agricultural laborers. In 1964, he departed from the national council of the Communist Party of India (CPI) to help establish the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M).

Achuthanandan played a crucial role during the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising, often dubbed Kerala’s October Revolution, which was a significant protest against the Diwan of Travancore's efforts to implement self-rule based on an American governance model. During this period, he worked clandestinely to mobilize support for the movement but was arrested in Poonjar and endured severe torture while in custody at the Pala police station.