A pall of gloom descended on the BJP’s Karnataka unit following the death of its star campaigner and multi-lingual film actress Soundarya. Soon after they received news of the crash, BJP leaders, including Karnataka unit president Anantkumar, called off electioneering and rushed to the spot. BJP city unit spokesman Prakash said the party has cancelled its programmes for the day including its routine daily briefing. Soundarya, a crowd-puller for the BJP, had undertaken hectic campaigning on Friday in the Malleswaram Assembly segment. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered that all small aircraft and helicopters being used extensively in the current election campaign should undergo strict checks for air worthiness. A circular to this effect has been sent to all private aviation companies, a DGCA official said asking them to submit latest air worthiness reports of the planes and helicopters to the competent authorities. Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes have condoled Soundarya’s demise. ‘‘It is sad for all of us in the BJP that she met with an untimely death while on a campaign journey for the party,’’ Vajpayee said in a message. Fernandes has expressed shock and grief at Soundarya’s death. Fernandes, who is touring Karnataka, said Soundarya’s ‘‘untimely death has created an irreparable void’’ in the film world.
