Former Congress MLA Bholanath Pandey, who hit the headlines in 1978 when he and another man hijacked a plane with a toy gun, demanding the release of Indira Gandhi from prison, died Friday, a party leader said here.

Congress Ballia district president Umashankar Pathak said Pandey (71), who was ill for a long time, died at his home in Lucknow.

"The news of the demise of former MLA, senior Congress leader Bhola Pandey is extremely sad. The contribution made by Pandey ji in the development of his area and strengthening the party will remain unforgettable. We pray for peace to his soul and strength to his family, well-wishers and supporters.

"Hearing this sad news, state president Ajay Rai has written a letter to Pandey's family and expressed condolences on behalf of the Congress family," the UP Congress said on X in Hindi.

Pathak said, "Pandey had once hijacked an Indian Airlines plane in 1978 in protest against the arrest of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. After this, he came to limelight at the national level."

Reports then had said two men hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 410 with a toy gun and a ball. They asked the pilot to fly to Nepal, but they refused citing a shortage of fuel. Eventually, the plane landed in Varanasi. Several passengers escaped when the hijackers allowed to open a rear door.

The case against the two men was later dropped. Pathak said Pandey, born on October 25, 1953 in the Moon Chhapra village in the Bairia area of the district, was a Congress MLA twice from the Doaba (now Bairia) Assembly constituency from 1980 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1991.

Pandey, who was close to the Gandhi family, contested the Lok Sabha election from the Salempur Lok Sabha seat several times on a Congress ticket, but could not win.

Pandey is survived by his four sons and two daughters.

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