Former Karnataka minister and JD(S) leader K Amarnath Shetty passes away at 80

MANGALURU: Senior politician and JD(S) leader K Amarnath Shetty passed away at a hospital at Mangaluru in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Monday. He was 80. He was survived by his wife and two children.
Amarnath Shetty was admitted to AJ Hospital due to age-related complications a couple of days back. Hailing from Moodbidri, about 55 kms from here, his rise in political field was phenomenal.
Known as upright and decent politician, he entered politics from grassroots level in 1965 by becoming the president of Paladka gram panchayat, Karkala taluk. Later he became the president of Moodabidri TMC. He was elected from Moodbidri assembly constituency thrice in 1983, 1987 and 1994. He held posts of tourism, religious endowment, youth affairs and sports, ports and labour minister during the Janata Dal (Secular) regime when Ramakrishna Hegde and J H Patel were chief ministers.
After losing to his Congress opponent K Abhayachandra twice in a row, he declined to contest in the last Assembly polls. He had contested ten times from the Moodbidri Assembly segment.
Born in the Mundrudeguthu Family of Paladka to Kanthappa Shetty and Rathnavathi couple in the year 1940, Shetty was basically an agriculturist but displayed his leadership skills early by entering into active politics by the age of 25. His leadership skills saw him enter politics through Samstha Congress. He later joined Janata Party, where he remained till his end with the split faction of JD(S). He held the post of senior vice president of the party’s state unit till his last days.
Not only in politics, Shetty was active in social work in the field of education, social service and cooperative sector.
Mourning his death, Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa recalled him as a simple and honest politician. D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala also mourned his death saying he has lost a good friend with his passing away. He stated even while Shetty did not have power or position, he was seen working for the welfare of the people.
BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel said that in his death the people of the coast have lost a great leader who had strived for the welfare of the people from the grassroots level.a row. Bantavara Alias Nadavar Mathr Sangha has also mourned the death of the leader.
JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda visited the family of Shetty at Moodbidri and offered his condolences. Sources said former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy may not be able to come for the final rites to be held on Tuesday as he was busy with programmes at Channapatna, but may come for the ceremony to be held on the eleventh or the thirteenth day.