Bengaluru: 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 Assembly polls.

Last rites were performed at his farmland at Hanumanthanahalli in Y.N. Hoskote hobli of Pavagada taluk this afternoon, according to sources.