'Unfriendly' airfare

In the past, personal aircraft of a top Union minister from Madhya Pradesh used to be requisitioned by the Congress party routinely when elections were on — the understanding being that the aircraft would be given at ‘friendly rates’. But, during this round of polls, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora found the rates had become distinctly ‘unfriendly’. In fact, the price demanded was slightly higher than the commercial rates. As a result, the minister’s aircraft has been in the hangar all these months, as the Congress party found it cheaper to hire a commercial aircraft.