Bihar leaders begin helicopter campaigns

Politicians in Bihar Wednesday began their campaign to woo voters for the April-May Lok Sabha election by taking a helicopter ride to various public meetings in the state.

Senior Janata Dal-United leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left Patna Wednesday in a private helicopter for Bagaha in West Champaran district where he will kick off his campaign with a 'Sankalp Yatra'.

His arch rival and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad also used a private helicopter Wednesday to reach different places in Gaya district to address public meetings.

Some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were the first to use helicopter last Monday to attend the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally in Muzaffarpur town.

Like in the past elections, political parties, except for the Left, go in for helicopter campaigns by paying huge amounts to private helicopter firms.

According to leaders from different parties, more than a dozen helicopters from private firms will be pressed into service to ferry their star campaigners.

A BJP leader said the party has booked five or six helicopters for campaigning.

"Every day these helicopters will take party leaders to different parts of the state. It will save time and enable them to reach out to people in far away places in no time," the leader said.

Bihar's JD-U will book three helicopters for poll campaigning.

"One will be used by Nitish Kumar and the others will be used by party campaigners," a JD-U leader said.

A RJD leader also said the party will hire at least two helicopters.