Campaign air travel spend pegged at Rs 100 cr in WB

KOLKATA: West Bengal is reeling under an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines amidst a dreary long eight-phase Assembly election, but leaders campaigning here have already spent Rs 100 crore to fly around to pitch for votes.

At least 90 per cent of this spending can be traced to BJP because their star campaigners like PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P.

Nadda and minister Smriti Irani are from outside the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a select few in TMC have flown around, specially to North Bengal. “But this is mainly because Didi is injured. We don’t have the kind of funds the BJP has,” said TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

BJP leaders justify expenses on air travel as ‘unavoidable’ in a fierce battle like West Bengal.

Statistics garnered from Calcutta, Andal and Bagdogra airports points to a total gross spending of Rs 98.73 crore so far on use of helicopters and light aircrafts from Match 15 to April 20. At least 92 per cent of this spending is by the BJP, 7 per cent by TMC and the remaining one per cent by others. Left Front leaders have not used air travel. State police and enforcement branch have reported seizure of nearly Rs 250 crore in cash, liquor and other gifts linked to polls in the last two months.