How BJP ‘grounded’ rivals in Karnataka

BENGALURU: The JD(S)-Congress combine in Karnataka is smelling “conspiracy” in the manner in which their star campaigners are allegedly being denied the safer twinengine helicopters. Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is said to be struggling to find a twin-engine copter for travel. Protocol dictates the CM only use a twin-engine copter.
Over the last 15 days, the JD(S)-Congress leadership has been forced to bank on four-wheelers and zero-traffic convoys to reach campaign sites.“BJP leaders have been trying to scuttle our efforts to reach out to the voters by prebooking all twin-engine helicopters in the state,” Kumaraswamy had said last week.
Choppers available for the CM or senior leaders are those owned by high net-worth individuals or companies renting them out for electioneering or private events, said sources.
“We have seen BJP use this tactic for some time now, trying to threaten and dissuade private players from renting out choppers to the alliance partners in the state. At times they don’t give permission for takeoffs, and at times delay landings. They are trying to scuttle our campaign,” said Congress leader in Lok Sabha M Mallikarjun Kharge.