Venkaiah Naidu’s chopper woes

Vijayawada: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu complained on Sunday against the ‘indifferent’ attitude of election duty officials for denying landing permission to his helicopter. He had to use road while the chopper took rounds in the air. Interacting with the media here, Naidu said he had hired the copter to cover election meetings at Tadepalligudem, Narasapur and Kaikaluru during the day. The pilot had secured the route clearance from Chennai before taking off in Rajahmundry. He had addressed a meeting at Tanuku and wanted to fly to Tadepalligudem where officials refused to clearance the landing, forcing him to return. He tried to get in touch with officials in vain. “One officer was doing puja and another was on morning walk. What are they doing?” Naidu fumed. He called up CEC VS Sampath and State Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal, the Governor’s office to make officials give permission. Meanwhile, the pilot travelled without the leader who had hired it. Naidu had trouble covering the route by road.