Kolkata, Aug 3 - Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) patriarch Jyoti Basu was extremely shocked at the news of the death of West Bengal Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty here Monday.

According to Basu's personal assistant Joy Krishna Ghosh, the nonagenarian leader while expressing sorrow, said: 'It is my time to go. But the irony is I am alive, while Subhas is no more. He was a very capable leader.'

'Basu said that Subhas passed away at a young age,' Ghosh added.

Ruling Left Front chairman and CPI-M state unit secretary Biman Bose, weeping while announcing the demise of Chakraborty, said he had broken the news to Jyoti Basu personally.