New Delhi, Nov 15: Former Union Minister K C Pant, who had served under late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and switched to BJP in the late 1990s, died here today. He was 81.
 The son of Govind Ballabh Pant, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister under late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Krishan Chandra Pant is survived by his wife former MP Ila Pant and two sons.
 Pant, who had held the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Energy and Steel among others, was ailing for some time and breathed his last at 8:30 AM.
 Pant was Defence Minister in Rajiv Gandhi's Cabinet when the CAG report on Bofors Howitzer acquisition was tabled in Parliament and defended the government during those troubled days.
 However, he switched loyalties to BJP in 1998 when it emerged as the ruling party. His wife successfully contested from Nainital Lok Sabha constituency on a BJP ticket.
 Pant became Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission in 2000 under the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee who was the Chairman of the body. He was also made an interlocutor for Kashmir by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 Born in 1931 in Nainital, Pant was a post graduate in science and joined Congress to enter politics. Pant first got elected to Lok Sabha in 1962 and was reelected in 1967, 1971 and 1989.
 Pant, who later became the Chairman of Tenth Finance Commission, was also elected to Rajya Sabha in 1978 and was Leader of the House during 1979-1980.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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