Snag Grounds Helicopter for Maharashtra Minister's Poll Campaign

A technical issue in a helicopter delayed Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde's travel for a campaign. After routine checks at Chikalthana Airport, a problem was detected, leading to flight cancellation and delayed plans amidst rising concerns following a tragic crash involving Ajit Pawar.

A helicopter set to transport Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde for her campaign activities was grounded due to a technical snag, delaying her scheduled trip by two hours. The issue was discovered during a routine maintenance check late Monday night.

The helicopter's snag was detected just hours before Munde was to fly to Latur for the Zilla Parishad polls. The DGCA later issued a precautionary grounding note for the Agusta 109 chopper due to excessive play in the rotor blade's pitch link, as revealed by maintenance engineers.

This development follows heightened concerns around air travel after the fatal crash of a chartered aircraft carrying NCP leader Ajit Pawar the previous week. The incident has led to increased scrutiny and anxiousness among political figures.

(With inputs from agencies.)