New Delhi, Jan 29 :Veteran socialist George Fernandes, who was the defence minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness, his long time associate Jaya Jaitly said. He was 88. George Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which had forced him out of the public eye for last many years, and had recently contracted swine flu, she said, adding that he died at his home in Delhi. George Fernandes was one of the most prominent leaders of the socialist movement in the 1970s. George Fernandes was a senior Janata Dal leader before he founded the Samata Party. Apart from the defence ministry during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, Georges Fernandes held several ministerial portfolios including communications, industry and railways. He rose to prominence after his surprise victory in the 1967 parliamentary elections, over a Congress veteran in Mumbai.
George Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which had forced him out of the public eye for last many years, and had recently contracted swine flu.
A veteran Parliamentarian who was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1967, Mr Fernandes served several times as a Union Cabinet Minister, holding portfolios such as communications, industry, and railways, besides defence.
He had represented Muzaffarpur and Nalanda from Bihar in Lok Sabha.
He was the icon during the emergency, imposed by Indira Gandhi.
George Fernandes rose to political prominence when he led the Bombay Taxi Unions Association and defeated SK Patil, a Congress heavy-weight in the 1967 general election. A fire-brand and hardworking George Fernandes, only 37 then, campaigned tirelessly, covering large swathes of the constituency with his workers getting a 48.5 per cent of the votes. George Fernandes later joined the Janata Dal. He served as Railway Minister in the VP Singh government from 1989 to 1990. He was instrumental in setting up the Konkan Railway project, connecting Mangalore and Bombay. In 1994, George Fernandes formed the Samata Party, which later allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was appointed convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and served as the Defence Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for two terms, between 1998 and 2004. His term was eventful as it witnessed the Kargil War and the Pokhran test.
Remembering George Fernandes’ contribution during the Emergency, BJP President Amit Shah said, “The most abiding memories of Fernandes ji are those of his fierce opposition to the emergency in 1975. He stood steadfastly to protect India’s democratic values.”
