Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes has passed away in Mangalore. He was hospitalised after suffering injuries after an accidental fall, passed away on Monday September 13. He was 80.
Fernandes served as Union Road Transport Minister in the UPA government.
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.
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 was known as the man of all seasons, who had tackle tricky situations with his negotiations.
He served as Parliamentary Secretary to Rajiv Gandhi. He was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi constituency in Karnataka. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996 from the same constituency. Later, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004. He was a Union Minister from 2004 to 2009, holding a number of portfolios such as Statistics and Programme Implementation, NRI Affairs, Youth and Sports Affairs and Labour and Employment. He served two terms as a member of the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Also read: Bhupendra Patel takes oath as New Chief Minister of Gujarat
The Congress said in a tweet, “We are deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Oscar Fernandes ji, our heartfelt condolences to his family. A Congress stalwart, his vision for an inclusive India had a huge influence on the politics of our times. The Congress family will deeply miss his mentorship & guidance.”