Ahead of the upcoming State Legislative elections, BJP spokesperson and National Vice President Baijayant Panda Jay Panda was spotted driving a helicopter during his campaign trail.
TV9 Bharatvarsh Editor Amod Rai tweeted that Jay Panda has been going to election rallies and party meetings in his own helicopter. “He has a calm, soft-spoken and spontaneous personality He is working as a silent worker of the BJP,” Rai added.
https://twitter.com/AmodRaiLive/status/1375307392062124033?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIt must be mentioned that Jay Panda is a trained pilot with over 1833 hours of flight experience. He studied at the Michigan Technological University in the United States and has a dual degree in Engineering and Management in Communications.
“Interestingly, what makes him stand out of the crowd is that he is a pilot as well. He has flown over 1833 hours till now. And now in the election season, helicopters are indeed an attraction for the public. Copters flying high up in the air, landing at election rallies are a common sight. In poll-bound Assam, Panda has been seen to be flying a copter, which has further garnered public attention. Besides being an active politician, this is a feather to his cap as a pilot,” reported The Truth Today.
Odisha government seized a helicopter of Jay Panda in 2018
After deserting his erstwhile party Biju Janata Dal, a helicopter flown by Jay Panda was seized by the police in Odisha in September 2018. The Odisha government had accused him of flying his chopper at a supposedly ‘low altitude’ over ‘eco-sensitive zone’ in Chilika Lake. It claimed that the flight caused panic among the tourists.
https://twitter.com/PandaJay/status/1041732909080539136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“A local cop from Puri has come to Bhubaneswar airport & “seized” the hangar & the helicopter I fly. Clearly, facts have no bearing, & cops privately admit “orders from 3rd floor’. Brazen attempt to handicap my movement around Odisha, but they cant stop me,” jay Panda had tweeted.