Plane shortage hits parachute campaigners

But a bigger aircraft was not available. Her husband’s trusted lieutenant Satish Sharma sold out Kingair Beech aircraft to Indamar in which Rajiv used to campaign. The company belongs to a friend of Sharma’s who is asking anexorbitant rate for lending the aircraft to Sonia.

The campaign managers of the Congress party have now decided to ferry journalists by regular flights wherever possible and then fly them by helicopters to the venue of Sonia’s meetings. Three private companies belonging to the Tatas, Singhanias and Thapars have conveyed their inability to spare their aircraft for Sonia until September. All of them are now at the disposal of the BJP leaders.

Kamal Nath’s Span Airways jet aircraft is the only hope for Sonia. But he has his own compulsions due to strict guidelines issued by the Election Commission under which he cannot lend aircraft free of cost to anybody during the campaigning.

Sonia needs helicopters too to ensure her presence at five places in a day. Sources say that for Sonia’s one-day campaign, the AICC hires one jet and three helicopters if she is addressing five meetings. While one helicopter is for her, son Rahul and SPG, another is for the PS and others. And one helicopter is a standby in theevent of any emergency. For journalists, the party has to hire an extra chopper.

Capt. Vijay Trehan, a former chairman of Vayudoot and trusted Rajiv loyalist, is handling Sonia’s tour and travel arrangements these days. When contacted, he declined to disclose the number of aircraft and helicopters hired by the AICC for Sonia, Priyanka and other party leaders.

Prime Minister A B Vajpayee also has his share of flying trouble. He is also unhappy with the EC’s diktats which bars him from taking journalists with him. He is not permitted to hire a private aircraft.