LUCKNOW, March 7 -- A helicopter carrying deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had to make an emergency landing in Lucknow on Saturday after a technical failure caused the cockpit display to shut down and smoke to fill the aircraft mid-air.

The helicopter landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, averting a potential mishap. All six people on board, including the deputy CM, were unharmed.

According to officials, Maurya had taken off at around 10:45am from a ground near La Martiniere College in Lucknow for Kaushambi to attend the inauguration of a two-day Saras Mahotsav.

About 30 minutes into the flight, when the helicopter had climbed to around 2,000 feet and reached the Bachhrawan area about 50 km from Luckn...