Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Not bird or plane, it's a poll chopper

Ranchi: They are the fabled pushpak vimans of poll-bound skies.
As many as nine helicopters are parked at the Birsa Munda Airport hangar for their use by political parties for speedy and hassle-free Assembly poll campaigns in far-flung areas.
And yes, whirring blades and rapid descent of a chopper make for a grand entry in front of gaping rural crowds. Leaders simply love that.
So, while the BJP's central leadership has hired four choppers for electioneering in Jharkhand, ruling party JMM is also not far behind with three choppers. The Congress and JVM have hired one each.
Though the facility does not come cheap and the campaigners have to be mindful of the electioneering expense cap set for the candidates concerned - Rs 28 lakh - the flying machines are in high demand.
BJP's four choppers include three single-engine machines and a twin-engine counterpart. All are hired from Delhi-based Tarsi Airlines owned by one Gulab Singh. The cost is steep - Rs 70,000 per hour - while the cost of parking, fuel, groundsmen is extra.
18/11/14 Amit Gupta/Telegraph
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline