KPCC leader U Bhupathi passes away in Goa during poll campaign

Panaji/Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and spokesperson U Bhupathi died in Goa after suffering a cardiac arrest while campaigning for party nominee Vijay Dike in Mapusa constituency, officials said on Thursday.

He passed away on Wednesday. Bhupathi who had arrived in Goa on Tuesday from  Bangalore was campaigning in Mapusa’s Ganganagar area, which is largely dominated with people who have migrated from Karnataka.

“He was campaigning from 10 AM-3.30 PM after which he suffered a cardiac arrest. He had visited all houses in the area and had heard out people. The women had told him that there were no basic facilities made available to them by the state government,” Nanda Mhatre, party’s coordinator for Mapusa constituency told PTI.

Mhatre was amongst the group of people who went door to  door with Bhupati, who is a former MLA from Karnataka’s Sandur constituency in Bellari taluka. “Suddenly he fell ill and collapsed. The ambulance took almost 45 minutes to reach there,” Mhatre said. “He had already covered over 150 houses in the constituency. He was touched by the problems of the people,” she said.

Bhupathi was taken to the district hospital in Mapusa where he was pronounced dead. “He died due to massive cardiac arrest. He also had a past medical history of a by-pass surgery,” Dr Madhu Godhikrikar attached to Forensic Department of Goa Medical College and Hospital said.

Bhupathi’s younger son Siddharth rushed to Goa this morning after hearing the news and has taken custody of the mortal remains which were flown to Bengaluru from state’s Dabolim airport in the afternoon.

“The final rites would be performed at his native Ballari village,” Siddharth said.