Star campaigners’ flights cost Rs 10 cr in elections
Monday, 13/02/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120213/punjab.htm#12
Various political parties spent nearly Rs 10 crore on helicopters during elections in Punjab, as the Election Commission in different districts of the state registered 120 chopper landings.
The star campaigners of different parties used these choppers and the expenditure would be added in the account of the parties and not the candidates.
Sources say a chopper company charges Rs 80,000 to 1.5 lakh per hour and politicians in Punjab used helicopters between two to four hours during campaigning.
The Congress party spent the maximum money on choppers, as 75 landings were registered by it, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal that used helicopters 31 times. The BJP recorded 13 landings and the BSP used a chopper only once.
Capt Amarinder Singh was the most frequent flier during canvassing followed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The star campaigners of the Congress who visited Punjab included AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Ambika Soni and Bollywood actor Raj Babbar.
Those in SAD included Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia.
National BJP president Nitin Gadkari and other leaders, including Vasundhra Raje, Sushil Kumar, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Rajnath Singh and small screen actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani were among the party's star campaigners, who used choppers to canvass for party candidates.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was the only BSP leader who used chopper only once to campaign for her party candidates.
"Our Returning Officers have recorded 120 landings. The political parties were directed to seek our permission before landing anywhere in Punjab. Since all these leaders were star campaigners, the expenditure will be registered in the accounts of the political parties," said Rajkamal Chowdhary, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.
