Shankaranand passes away

He is survived by two sons and six daughters.

Shankaranand was suffering from kidney failure was admitted to the KLES Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital two days ago. He also suffered a stroke and the end came at 01.50 am, hospital sources said.

A Gandhi family loyalist, Shankaranand represented Chikkodi (Reserve) Parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha for seven consecutive terms (from 1967 to 1996). He was, however, humbled by a political greenhorn Ratnamala Savanur in 1996. The defeat marked his political decline.

Shankaranand had served in the ministries headed by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao. He had also headed the Parliamentary Committee that probed the controversial Bofors issue.

The final rites would be held at his native village Kanagala, near Sankeshwar in Hukkeri taluk of Belgaum district on Saturday at 11 am. Several leaders are expected to attend the funeral.

Born on October 19, 1925 at Kanagala village of Hukkeri taluk in Belgaum district, Shankaranand completed education in Chikkodi and Belgaum. He began his career as a lawyer in Belgaum and entered politics becoming a member of Belgaum municipality. He held the portfolios of parliamentary affairs, education, water resources, law and justice, petroleum, health and energy in the union cabinet.

Prime Minister Monmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji, Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Governor H R Bhardwaj, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and several leaders have condoled the death of Shankaranand.

The CM, in his message said, “We have lost a veteran leader who espoused the cause of Karnataka at the Centre.”