Former union minister Akhilesh Das dead (Lead)

Lucknow April 12 (IANS) Former union minister and Congress leader Akhilesh Das died here on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest a family source said. He was 56.

Son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarasi Das Gupta he was admitted to the Lari Cardiology Centre after he complained of distress a family member told IANS.

Das was the Minister of State for Steel in the Manmohan Singh-led government in 2004-09. He was also a former Mayor of Lucknow.

Das was a three-time Rajya Sabha member -- twice from the Congress and once from the Bahujan Samaj Party. He was also the President of Badminton Association of India.

In November 2014 Das quit the BSP. He rejoined the Congress before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections this year.

--IANS
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