Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes passed away at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Monday. He was 80.
Fernandes was hospitalized after suffering a fall while doing Yoga at his home in July this year. He was admitted in ICU following surgery to remove a clot in his brain.
Fernandes served as Union Road Transport Minister in the UPA government. Fernandes, who was considered close to both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, also served as Parliamentary Secretary, to Rajiv Gandhi.
Oscar Fernandes was elected to the Lok Sabha from Karnataka’s Udupi constituency in 1980. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996 from the same constituency.
In 1998, Fernandes was elected to the Rajya Sabha and was re-elected to the Upper House in 2004.
