Bengaluru, Nov 12 (IANS) Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar passed away on early Monday at a private hospital in Bengaluru, a party leader said. He was 59.

"Minister Ananth Kumar passed away at 3 a.m. at a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment for cancer," a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Bengaluru R. Ashoka told reporters here.

--IANS bha/ahm/