MANGALURU: Former minister and senior JDS leader K Amarnath Shetty passed away on Monday in Mangaluru at a private hospital. He was 80.
He was admitted to AJ hospital following a brief illness. A few years ago he had undergone plastic surgery under his feet.
Shetty who entered electoral politics in 1965, became the MLA in 1983 from Moodbidri-Mulky constituency. In 1984, he was made minister for tourism and religious endowment under Ramakrishna Hegde's government.
In 1985, he was re-elected as an MLA from thd same constituency and made minister in 1987 for religious endowment. He was a three-time MLA from Moodbidri constituency, from where he won last time in 1994. He had contested seven times in the assembly elections. It was because of his efforts that Moodbidri was declared a taluk and during his tenure several development works were undertaken.