TMC spent Rs 150 crore on private jet, chopper charges in 4 years: Report

In a stunning revelation, an audit report submitted by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to the Election Commission stated that the party has spent a total of Rs 150 crore in aircraft and chopper charges in the last four years.

Party sources claim that a significant portion of this sum was spent for party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s air travel to various places.

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It should be noted that apart from her electoral campaigns, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee travel expenses were borne by the state exchequer.

The report mentioned that in 2022 alone, Rs 35 core was spent in air fare by the party. In 2023, that expense dropped to Rs 13 crore. In 2024, when the Lok Sabha polls were held, expense on air fare soared to more than Rs 56 crore. In 2025, despite no elections, air expenses surged to more than Rs 37 crore.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, TMC had spent around Rs 82 crore, out of which Rs 46 crore was spent on air fare, more than half of its total expense during the campaign.

Many from within the Mamata Banerjee-led party have questioned this huge expenditure in airfare. Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh has earlier questioned the large scale expenditure on private jets from the party’s funds.

Rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who has now been appointed the Leader of Oppostion in the West Bengal assembly has questioned the large scale expenditure on private jets at a time when several party workers needed funds for legal help.

Meanwhile, on Friday, three TMC bank accounts which have an estimated Rs 440 crore deposited in them, have been freezed, prompting fresh discussion within the party on its expenses and usage of private jets.