Bengaluru, May 30 -- Former Minister Venkataramanappa (80) passed away at a private hospital in Benglauru early on Friday morning following brief illness.

He leaves behind two sons including Pavagada MLA H.V. Venkatesh, a daughter and a host of relatives and friends.

Venkataramanappa, a veteran Congress leader who was elected from Pavagada (SC) Constituency in Tumakuru district for four terms, had served as a Minister twice - First time in the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP Government in 2008 as Minister for Silk and Small Scale Industries and later as Labour Minister in the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress Coalition Government in 2018. His son, H.V. Venkatesh, was elected on a Congress ticket from Pavagada Constituency in the 2023 Assembl...