Ex-Union Minister V Dhananjay Kumar passed away today aged 67 following a prolonged illness in Karnataka's Mangaluru. He was Cabinet minister for civil aviation and tourism in 1996, Union minister of state for finance from 1999 to 2000 and Union minister of state for textiles from 2000 to 2003. He headed BJP's unit in Dakshina Kannada from 1986 to 1990.