Key Points
With the second phase of the 2025 Bihar Election imminent, politicians spent a whopping ₹40 crore on aerial campaigning.
Up to 25 helicopters and 12 planes were chartered daily, totalling to around 1,600 hours of airtime.
Of the 25 helicopters used, 15 were for BJP leaders, while Congress, RJD, and JD(U) used two each, and smaller parties like JJD, HAM, LJP(RV), etc. used one each.
The skies of Bihar quieted on Sunday, 9 November 2025, as campaigning for the 2025 Assembly Elections came to an end. The high-stakes, high-expenditure political drama saw politicians from both major camps hopping from constituency to constituency on chartered helicopters and private planes, spending around ₹40 crore in the process.
Campaigners chartered up to 25 helicopters and 12 planes daily from Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna, for a total 1,600 hours across both phases. Phase 1 of campaigning, from 25 October to 5 November 2025, saw around 210 flights, while Phase 2, from 1 November to 9 November 2025, recorded around 240 flights.
According to a source at Patna airport, NDA charters accounted for around 1,200 hours flown, while Mahagathbandhan flights totalled to 400 hours. Of the 25 helicopters used, 15 were for BJP leaders, while Congress, RJD, and JD(U) used two each, and smaller parties like JJD, HAM, LJP(RV), etc. used one each.
Leaders attended hundreds of rallies across both phases, with top faces criss-crossing the state multiple times a day – Nitish Kumar attended a total of 84 rallies, while Tejashwi Yadav attended over 200. BJP leaders attended a lot more rallies than any of their rivals or allies – with many flying in and out of the state repeatedly – though exact figures are not available.
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“Roughly it comes to an average of ₹3 lakh per hour per helicopter to hire,” said the source, “This includes GST charges also.” A single-engine helicopter with a capacity of four passengers costs around ₹1.5 lakh per hour to hire, while double-engine models range from ₹2.5 to 4 lakh per hour. Private jets are priced at ₹4 to 9 lakh per hour, depending on the facilities it offers like catering, sofas, beds, and toilets.
“Around ₹11 lakh was spent on each helicopter each day,” the source continued, “As per a rough calculation, the NDA spent ₹30 crore on helicopter rides and chartered planes, while the Opposition Mahagathbandhan ₹10 crore.”
The source added that around ₹1.8 crore was spent on chartered flights per day, totalling to ₹40 crore. This is 1.5 times higher than the amount spent on the same during the 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections, which stood at ₹26 crore.
Another source at the airport said that prominent politicians fly to Patna by chartered plane from where they travel to other districts by helicopter. “Four to five chartered planes carrying politicians arrive at the airport daily,” the source said.
This extravagance and lavish spending on aerial campaigning stands in stark contrast with the key issues on which the election is being fought: unemployment, underdevelopment, and corruption. [Rh]
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