Oscar Fernandes, former Union minister and Sonia aide, dies at 80

Fernandes served as parliamentary secretary to prime minister Rajiv Gandhi

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R Oscar Fernandes, a prominent face of the UPA era and a minister in the Manmohan Singh governments, died on Monday at the age of 80. He passed away at a hospital in Mangaluru.

Fernandes, who began his political career as a municipal councillor in Udupi in 1975-76, was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi. He would represent Udupi a total of five consecutive times (winning elections in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996).

Fernandes served as parliamentary secretary to prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1984-85 and was considered a trusted aide of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

After losing the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, Fernandes was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.