Bengaluru: Former Minister M. Raghupathi (82) passed away here this morning following brief illness.

As a prominent leader of the then Janata Parivar in the 1980s, Raghupathi had served as Higher Education Minister in Ramakrishna Hegde Cabinet.

He was elected as an MLA from Malleswaram and Shivajinagar Assembly segments in Bengaluru city and also served as an MLC. He had stayed away from active politics for the past several years.

His body has been kept at his residence in Malleswaram here for public viewing. Last rites will be performed tomorrow morning, according to sources.