This Article is From Mar 13, 2012

In Uttar Pradesh campaign, Mayawati used the most flights

In Uttar Pradesh campaign, Mayawati used the most flights
Lucknow: The high-voltage polls in Uttar Pradesh saw political leaders and candidates taking a total of 334 sorties on private jets and helicopters for campaigning, with outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati flying a maximum of 26 times.

According to a report compiled by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in the state capital, the choppers and chartered flights were used by "candidates and star campaigners" from all the major political parties taking part in the just-concluded Assembly polls in the state.

While outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati undertook 26 air sorties for campaigning to various locations from here, the Chief Minister designate Akhilesh Yadav took a total of five
flights.

Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is tabulated to have undertaken 21 flights while Congress President Sonia Gandhi travelled four times by air for campaigning.
The flight records, between January to February, have now being sent to the Election Commission (EC) in Delhi and also to the Income Tax (Investigations) department for scrutiny of poll expenditure, both on the part of the political parties and the candidates.

Other campaigners, who used the choppers/private jets for campaigning in various parts of the state, include Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi (10 sorties) and party
in-charge for UP Digvijay Singh (10 sorties).

BJP leaders, who feature on the list, include L K Advani, Arun Jaitely, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sushama Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra.

The Samajwadi Party is set to form the government in the state as it has emerged as the single largest party in the 403-seat Assembly with 224 seats.
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