Mangaluru:  Former Minister and JD(S) leader, Amarnath Shetty, passed away in a private hospital here today. He was 80.

He was admitted to a private hospital in city due to some health related issues and passed away after he stopped responding to the treatment, family sources said.

After joining politics in 1965, Amarnath Shetty went on to become the President of Paladka Panchayat in Karkala taluk. He also served as the Chairman of Moodabidri Town Panchayat, President of Taluk Marketing Society, Karkala, Co-operative Service Bank and District Janata Party of Dakshina Kannada.

In 1983, he contested from JD(S) and was elected to Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Moodabidri Constituency for the first time. He was again re-elected to the Assembly for the same Constituency in 1987 and 1994.

Shetty was a classmate of former Union Minister Dr. M. Veerappa Moily.