Two-time MLA Gopal Bhandary no more

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.

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.

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.

Tributes poured in following his death and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) held a condolence meeting in Bengaluru on Friday.

“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."

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, among others, have condoled Bhandary’s death.