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Udupi, Jul 25: Former minister and five-time MLA Vasanth V Salian passed away in a hospital here on Saturday July 25. He was 75.

Sources said that Salian felt uneasiness and chest pain on Saturday evening, after which he was rushed to High-Tech hospital at Ambalbady. He breathed his last soon after.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Salian was in Congress party for a long time and had been elected as MLA five times from Kaup constituency, and had served as state minister twice. 

Salian entered politics in the year 1978. He was first elected as Katapady gram panchayat vice-president, and went on to serve the Youth Congress, Kaup block Congress, NSUI and Congress backward class committee in various capacities. 

For 21 years from 1983 to 2004, he was elected as MLA five times, and served as state minister for fisheries and ports, and as Udupi district incharge minister during the tenure of Veerappa Moily and S M Krishna as chief ministers.

In 2004 to 2009, he contested with Congress but lost both the times. In 2013, he contested the Assembly election with JD(S) ticket, but lost gain. In 2014, he moved over to BJP.

He undertook development works worth crores and gained much popularity and affection from the public. He prepared an action plan for the comprehensive development of Kaup constituency. As the president of renovation committee of Katapady Shree Vishwanath Kshetra, he took special interest in beautifying the Kshetra and strived hard for it.

The final rites will be held on Sunday July 26 after 12 noon at his residence near Katapady forest gate, said family sources.

Shree Sugunendrateertha Swamiji of Puthige Math, Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes, former union minister Veerappa Moily, union law minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, former minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, former MLA Lalaji Mendon, former MLA Raghupati Bhat, Dr Deviprasad Shetty and many other leaders expressed their condolences.