In air, BJP has a clear majority over Congress

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has outdone the Congress in the use of aircraft and helicopters during the

election campaign

in the state. While the BJP has hired three six seater planes and two helicopters for ferrying state leaders across Gujarat, the Congress has just hired one helicopter to air-drop its leaders from one place to another.


According to office bearers of the BJP’s election travel department, the party has engaged three six-seater aircraft and two helicopters that will be used by star campaigners to cover two or three Lok Sabha constituencies in a single day. A senior leader, who is entrusted the task of overseeing use of the aircraft and helicopters, said, “It has been a fortnight since the party has engaged three aircraft and two helicopters.


Each chartered plane can ferry six persons at a time, while the helicopters have a capacity to carry four persons. The party may hire one more helicopter after April 15, when campaigning in the state will assume a more feverish pace.”

Apart from national level star campaigners, the aircraft and helicopters leased by the BJP are being used by chief minister Vijay Rupani, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, state general secretary Bhikhu Dalsaniya, and Union ministers Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya.

The Congress, does not seem to be in any position to match the BJP’s aerial power. A senior leader said that most star campaigners, especially national leaders, will campaign in Gujarat after April 15 and so the party has hired just one helicopter as of now. “Key state leaders Rajeev Satav, GPCC president Amit Chavda and leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani are presently using the helicopter that has been hired by the party. The party will hire one more helicopter on those days when Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national star campaigners will be in Gujarat,” the leader said.

With more aircraft at its disposal, local leaders of the BJP have been able to cover an average of three Lok Sabha constituencies in a single day, but local Congress leaders have been able to travel over just a few assembly segments of a Lok Sabha constituency in a single day given that they have just one helicopter at their disposal, which they do not use quite often.

The Election Commission of India has approved the per-hour rent for helicopters between Rs 1.30 lakh and 3.48 lakh depending on its make and capacity.

For airplanes, the rent ranges from Rs 90,000 to 5.24 lakh per hour depending on the make and capacity. The BJP is expected to spend several crore rupees on air travel during campaigning in Gujarat, while the Congress could spend much less on helicopters and other aircraft.