Bengaluru, January 27: Former Karnataka state minister and Janata Dal (Secular) veteran, Amarnath Shetty, died on Monday after brief illness. The senior politician, who was admitted at the AJ Hospital & Research Institute in Mangaluru for the last 15 days, passed away in the wee hours today. The 80-year-old was a close aide of JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda. Udupi's Pejavara Mutt Seer Vishwesha Teertha Swami Dies After Prolonged Illness.

The funeral ceremony would be attended by scores of JD(S) workers, along with Gowda and his son - former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. The passing away of Shetty has come as a major shock to the party, as the deceased leader was active till the past month and had participated in the meeting called against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Shetty had launched his political career during the anti-emergency stir against the then Indira Gandhi-led regime at the Centre. He joined the Janata Party in the year 1977, and was elected to the Karnataka assembly from Moodbidri constituency in 1983, 1987 and 1994 -- the year when he was also inducted into the Ministry with Labour and Agriculture portfolios in the Janata Dal government.

After the disintegration of Janata Dal, he had briefly joined the Ramakrishna Hegde’s Navanirmana Vedike. Soon parting ways with the outfit, he joined the nascent JD(S), founded by Deve Gowda. For more than two decades, he has remained a loyalist of the former PM and an active member of the party.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 27, 2020 10:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).