Mumbai company cornered 75% of Cong LS poll spend on air travel

What clinched the 2009 Lok Sabha election for the Congress? Was it the charisma of the Gandhis? Was it good governance by the UPA in its previous term? Or was it a weak opposition in the BJP?

It may have been all this, but money also played a huge part in the Congress triumph, DNA has learnt through an RTI application.
According to an affidavit filed by the party to the election commission, it spent Rs380.04 crore on the poll, probably the most among all parties. It gave Rs10 lakh each to most candidates, spent Rs113.56 crore on hiring helicopters and aircraft for campaigning leaders and splurged Rs172.08 crore on media.

Over 75%, i.e. Rs85.63 crore, of the Rs113.56 crore spent on air travel went to Executive Airways Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai company. The next big provider of aircraft/helicopter services was also from the metro, Global Vectra Helicopter Ltd, which received Rs15.83 crore.
Four party candidates got more than Rs10 lakh. Sonia  (Raebareli) and Rahul Gandhi (Amethi) received Rs25 lakh each, while Pranab Mukherjee (Jangipur, Bengal) and Kamal Nath (Chhindwara, MP), received Rs15 lakh each.

This, however, did not deplete the Congress coffers much. The party, which had Rs292.80 crore before the election, ended up with Rs221.43 crore post-poll. Reason: It received Rs313.74 crore in donations.