Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes passes away

Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes passed away on Monday.

He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru. He had suffered head injury after a fall while practicing yoga at his residence on July 18. He was shifted to the ICU and remained critical, unconscious since then.

Oscar had the credit of winning Udupi Lok Sabha constituency for five consecutive terms from 1980 to 1996.

Fernandes, born on March 27, 1941, to Rockey Fernandes and Leonis Fernandes, started his political career as Councillor of Udupi Municipal Council in 1972. He is survived by his wife Blossom Fernandes, son and a daughter.

He had served as the Minister for Highway during the UPA regime. Fernandes is known to enjoy a good rapport with leaders across the hierarchy in the Congress. Being a close confidant of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he had served as the AICC General Secretary. He used to play the role of a trouble-shooter in resolving various issues.

He contested from Congress (I) from Udupi Lok Sabha constituency in 1980 and won the election against Dr V S Acharya. In the 1984 election, Oscar had won against BJP’s K S Hegde by winning 62 per cent of the votes. In 1989 election, he had won against M Sanjeeva of Janata Dal while in the 1991 election, he won against BJP’s Rukmayya Pooary and in 1996, he had won against I M Jayaram Shetty of the BJP. After losing the election 1998 against BJP’s Jayaram Shetty, he did not contest for the Lok Sabha election and later served as Rajya Sabha member.

Mangalore University had conferred honorary doctorate to him in the year 2010.

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