Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader B Shankaranand died early today at a private hospital in Belgaum following a cardiac arrest . He was 84. An eight time MP from Chikkodi reserved constituency, he also headed the Parliamentary Committee that probed the controversial Bofors gun deal. He had served in the Central Cabinet during the tenure of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao. Shankaranand is survived by two sons and five daughters. The last rites of the departed leader will be held tomorrow morning in his native place Kanagali in Hukkeri taluk of Belgaum in Karnataka. <br/> <br/>