New Delhi, Dec 23
Former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, the first politician from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to head a government at the Centre for a full five-year term, died today after a bout of serious illness over the past fortnight.

Pioneer of the liberalisation process in the early nineties, 83-year-old Rao died of cardiac arrest at 2.20 p.m. He was admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on December 9. He suffered from multiple ailments and had a history of heart problem.

A widower, Rao leaves three sons, one of whom is P. V. Ranga Rao, a former minister in Andhra Pradesh, and five daughters. Youngest son P. V. Prabhakar Rao was at his bedside when the end came.

Rao, who was Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister for three years in early 1970s, had held various portfolios, including External Affairs, Defence, Home and HRD, in the governments of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

After demitting office as Prime Minister in 1996, Rao also suffered the humiliation of facing criminal cases, including charges of bribing MPs to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha. He was, however, acquitted in all the three cases.