India Prime Minister Modi has upper hand in election ‘guerilla warfare’ as parties vie for jets, choppers to spread campaigns

BJP has booked as many as 20 private jets and 30 helicopters, while the Congress could manage to book just about a fifth of that, sources said

Aircraft are typically booked for 45 days, with rent for a jet costing as much as US$5,700 an hour, and up to US$7,200 an hour for the more agile helicopter

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election rally meeting in Bangalore. Photo: EPA

Published: 2:06pm, 16 Apr 2019Updated: 2:20pm, 16 Apr 2019

India’s vast and chaotic election is being fought in the skies with private jets and helicopters.

Ask Amit Shah. The president of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), arguably the most important politician after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flew the length and breadth of the country on April 6 to give interviews and attend about half a dozen election rallies.

For the BJP and rival Congress Party, getting senior figures out to as many of the nation’s 900 million voters as possible is key to swaying the electorate. And Modi’s cash-rich BJP booked most of the nation’s available private air fleet as early as three months back, limiting Congress’s mobility, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

India does not have enough helicopters and planes to cater to the surging demand, catalysed by polls every five years. The BJP has booked as many as 20 private jets and 30 helicopters, while the Congress could manage to book just about a fifth of that, the people said, asking not to be identified as the transactions are confidential.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah at the release BJP's manifesto for the upcoming general elections in New Delhi. Photo: AP

Indian elections are famous for using almost any means to disrupt opponents campaigns. But this kind of rivalry “has never extended to the sky before,” said Mark Martin, founder of Martin Consulting, who advises the Business Aircraft Operators Association, the main lobby group for the industry.