<p>Former legislator and Congress leader Gopal Bhandary died Thursday night during a bus journey from Bengaluru to Mangaluru due to a cardiac arrest. He was 66 and three days away from celebrating his 67th birthday. </p>.<p>Born July 7, 1952, Bhandary represented the Karkala assembly constituency in Udupi district for two terms - 1999 to 2004 and 2008 to 2013. His last victory in the 2008 Assembly polls came when he defeated BJP’s V Sunil Kumar by 1,537 votes. </p>.<p>Bhandary was travelling to Mangaluru alone on a KSRTC bus. He was found dead in his seat when the bus arrived at the KSRTC bus station at Bejai around 10.15 pm, according to reports. </p>.<p>Tributes poured in following his death and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) held a condolence meeting in Bengaluru on Friday. </p>.<p>“He was close to me personally,” Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah said in a tweet, while hailing Bhandary for his “uncompromising ideological commitment, honesty and nobility." </p>.<p>Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, among others, have condoled Bhandary’s death.</p>
<p>Former legislator and Congress leader Gopal Bhandary died Thursday night during a bus journey from Bengaluru to Mangaluru due to a cardiac arrest. He was 66 and three days away from celebrating his 67th birthday. </p>.<p>Born July 7, 1952, Bhandary represented the Karkala assembly constituency in Udupi district for two terms - 1999 to 2004 and 2008 to 2013. His last victory in the 2008 Assembly polls came when he defeated BJP’s V Sunil Kumar by 1,537 votes. </p>.<p>Bhandary was travelling to Mangaluru alone on a KSRTC bus. He was found dead in his seat when the bus arrived at the KSRTC bus station at Bejai around 10.15 pm, according to reports. </p>.<p>Tributes poured in following his death and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) held a condolence meeting in Bengaluru on Friday. </p>.<p>“He was close to me personally,” Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah said in a tweet, while hailing Bhandary for his “uncompromising ideological commitment, honesty and nobility." </p>.<p>Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, among others, have condoled Bhandary’s death.</p>
