Private jets and helicopters flew extensively in the Bihar elections !
1 hour rent up to 9 lakhs… Private jets and helicopters flew extensively in the Bihar elections, find out which party’s aerial campaign was like.
During the Bihar elections, all major parties made extensive use of helicopters for campaigning. During the first phase of campaigning for 121 seats, approximately 210 helicopters and private chartered planes flew, while in the second phase, helicopters flew approximately 240 times for campaigning for 122 seats. On the final day of campaigning, leaders used 26 helicopters to reach out to the public.
The election campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections has now concluded. Voting for the remaining 122 seats in the second phase will be held tomorrow, Tuesday. However, until the end of the campaign, all major parties tried to woo voters with the help of their prominent leaders. To this end, political parties made extensive use of both land and air. During the election campaign, helicopters were seen flying everywhere in Bihar. To ensure quick campaigning, many parties even spent crores of rupees on helicopters.
For the election campaign, 25 helicopters and 12 chartered planes flew continuously from Patna airport daily to transport political leaders. While air campaigning had been ongoing for some time, the pace reached its full potential in the past week.
The website TOI, quoting airport sources, reported that the final week of election campaigning saw a flurry of air flights. During the first phase of campaigning for 121 constituencies, helicopters and private chartered planes flew approximately 210 times from October 25th to November 4th. This translates to an average of 15 to 18 helicopters carrying politicians to campaign sites in Patna daily.
Similarly, in the second phase of election campaigning for 122 seats, helicopters flew approximately 240 times from November 1st to November 9th. In the final three days, helicopters were used extensively, with an average of 20 to 23 daily flights. On the final day of campaigning in Bihar, political heavyweights used helicopters 26 times.
Tejashwi held 16 public meetings on the last dayRashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Grand Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav addressed 16 public meetings on the final day of campaigning. He traveled by air to Arwal, Rohtas, and Jehanabad for campaigning. Mukesh Sahni, leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party, which is contesting the election in alliance with Tejashwi, also visited Bhagalpur and Katihar by helicopter.
Not only the opposition but also ruling party leaders used helicopters to reach public meetings. On the final day of campaigning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed rallies in Arwal and Sasaram, while Defense Minister Rajnath Singh addressed rallies in Aurangabad and Sasaram. Among other prominent BJP leaders, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned in Supaul, and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi covered Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad, and Sheohar.
Tej Pratap also flew by helicopterJanata Dal (United) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held election rallies in Aurangabad and Rohtas. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also campaigned in Kishanganj and Purnia. Rahul held 15 public meetings in Bihar. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan also held rallies in Katihar and Bhagalpur. Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary campaigned in Banka, Jamui, and Bhagalpur, and his counterpart Vijay Kumar Sinha campaigned in Sitamarhi. Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and a leader of the JJP party, addressed a public meeting in Kesaria, East Champaran.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also campaigned in Bihar for the first time. During this period, Priyanka held 10 rallies and one road show. However, she had to cancel one public meeting due to bad weather when her helicopter could not take off. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a total of 14 public meetings and one road show in Bihar.
How much does a helicopter cost to rent?Of the 25 helicopters used for election campaigning, 15 belonged to the BJP, two each to the JDU, RJD, and Congress, and one each to leaders of the LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), Tej Pratap, and other parties. Private jet fares are determined based on amenities such as sofas, beds, washrooms, and in-flight catering. The fare ranges from 400,000 to 900,000 rupees per hour.
A single-engine helicopter carrying four passengers costs around ₹1.5 lakh per hour, while a twin-engine model costs between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹4 lakh per hour. According to airport sources, “For election campaigning, prominent politicians first arrive at Patna airport by chartered plane. From there, they then travel by helicopter to attend rallies in other districts of Bihar. Four to five chartered planes carrying these politicians arrive at the airport daily.” The total cost of all this at the airport will run into several crores of rupees.
JDU spokesperson Basudev Kushwaha recently stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed a total of 84 public meetings across both phases, including 73 by helicopter and 11 by road. Similarly, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari stated that Tejashwi Yadav addressed over 200 public meetings across both phases.
