MLC among 4 killed in road mishap

Azamgarh,Jaunpur, UP, Sep 5: A senior member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and three of his aides were killed in a road accident here today, police said.

Shikshak Dal (Teachers' Group) MLC Panchanan Rai was 64 and hailed from Azamgarh district.

The accident occurred near Dhania Mau when the SUV he was travelling in, collided head on with a speeding bus on the Varanasi-Lucknow highway this morning.

Mr Rai, who represented the Faizabad-Gorakhpur Teachers' constituency was returning to the state capital after inaugurating a building here on the occasion of Teachers' Day when the mishap took place.

His driver Hasnu (30), gunner Maqsood (40) and another Prashant Kumar were also killed in the incident.

Mr Rai was born on November 28, 1943 in Buvhna Buzurg village of Sagdi tehsil in Azamgarh district. After completing his graduation from the district's National college, he pussued MSc Physics from Gorakhpur University.

In 1966, he was lecturer in Azamgarh's Gandhi Inter College and remained active in the field of politics as well. He was an MLA from Sagdi assembly constituency seat on a Congress ticket in 1980 and 1989 and was elected as general secretary of UP Secondary Education in 1984.

Mr Rai was elected an MLC from Gorakhpur-Faizabad graduate constituency in 1996.

UP legislative council chairman Choudhury Sukhram Singh Yadav, chief minister Mayawati, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar and leaders of other political parties have condoled the demise of Mr Rai.

UNI