From correspondents in Kerala, India, 11:31 PM IST

Veteran Congress leader and former central minister Henry Austin passed away here Thursday. He was 88.

The end came at his daughter's home here late in the evening.

Austin won from the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency in the 1971 and 1977 polls. When the Congress split and faced the elections in 1980 he lost to Congress candidate Xavier Arackal.

Austin held the portfolio of food and civil supplies, independent charge with the rank of a state minister, in the government headed by Charan Singh.

In 1985 he was appointed ambassador to Portugal.

For a long time Austin was not keeping good health and had retired from politics.

'The funeral will take place at Kochi tomorrow at 7 p.m,' Ernakulam legislator and senior Congress leader K.V. Thomas told IANS.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)