Former Congress MLA Bholanath Pandey, who hit the headlines in 1978 when he and one other man hijacked a airplane with a toy gun, demanding the discharge of Indira Gandhi from jail, died Friday, a celebration chief mentioned in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia.
Congress Ballia district president Umashankar Pathak mentioned Pandey (71), who was in poor health for a very long time, died at his residence in Lucknow.
“The information of the demise of former MLA, senior Congress chief Bhola Pandey is extraordinarily unhappy. The contribution made by Pandey ji within the improvement of his space and strengthening the get together will stay unforgettable. We pray for peace to his soul and power to his household, well-wishers and supporters.
“Listening to this unhappy information, state president Ajay Rai has written a letter to Pandey’s household and expressed condolences on behalf of the Congress household,” the UP Congress mentioned on X in Hindi.
Pathak mentioned, “Pandey had as soon as hijacked an Indian Airways airplane in 1978 in protest in opposition to the arrest of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. After this, he got here to limelight on the nationwide stage.” Stories then had mentioned two males hijacked Indian Airways Flight 410 with a toy gun and a ball. They requested the pilot to fly to Nepal, however they refused citing a scarcity of gas. Ultimately, the airplane landed in Varanasi. A number of passengers escaped when the hijackers allowed to open a rear door.
The case in opposition to the 2 males was later dropped. Pathak mentioned Pandey, born on October 25, 1953 within the Moon Chhapra village within the Bairia space of the district, was a Congress MLA twice from the Doaba (now Bairia) Meeting constituency from 1980 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1991.
Pandey, who was near the Gandhi household, contested the Lok Sabha election from the Salempur Lok Sabha seat a number of instances on a Congress ticket, however couldn’t win.
Pandey is survived by his 4 sons and two daughters.