Too many helicopters and too little space has become a headache for officials manning the Patna airport during the elections.

As of now, Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport is sheltering 28 choppers and the number may go up as the battle for Bihar reaches its climax.

The flying machines as well as the politicians are fighting for space inside the relatively smaller terminal at the Patna facility. With the ever-increasing number of choppers and chartered flights hired by political parties landing at the airport over the past month, airport authorities are losing sleep over finding parking space.

"We are facing a very peculiar problem as there is hardly any parking space left for anymore choppers inside the airport. If the number of flying machines keeps growing, then we will have no option but to ask political parties to look for some other options for parking their copters," an official said.

With limited space inside the small terminal, most of the over two dozen helicopters are parked cheek by jowl at the state hangar.

" Bahar bhi parking ka problem hai aur ab andar bhi (Parking problem is both inside and outside)," said the senior airport official, while instructing ground handlers to push a couple of choppers next to each other to make way for the third one at the parking bay inside the airport. "The parking bay inside the airport resembles a bicycle stand with choppers parked shoulder to shoulder. For the first time in the history of the airport so many copters are stationed inside at one time," the official said.

During last year's Lok Sabha polls, the number of flying machines used by political parties and parked at the airport was 16. Considering the limited landing and parking space, the directorate-general of civil aviation has directed all chartered flight operators to fly in and out of Patna at timings that don't interfere with regular flights.

At the airport, there are five parking bays meant for aircraft and the choppers are parked at the state hangar. According to the figures available with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) - in charge of the airport's security - the BJP has hired the maximum number of choppers, followed by Nitish Kumar's JDU, Lalu Prasad's RJD, and the Congress.

"Out of the 28 choppers stationed inside the airport, the BJP has 17," said a CISF official. Three each belong to the JDU, RJD and the Congress. One to Pappu Yadav, the chief of the newly floated Jan Adhikar Party, and the other one is that of Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAMS. Only the Left parties are left out in the chopper race.

On average 20 politicians, including Nitish, Lalu and former chief minister Manjhi, reach the airport between 8am and 10am to hop on helicopters to attend rallies and all of them return by 5-6pm. Politicians coming from outside the state for electioneering also use the choppers.

"It often leads to chaos as one copter is taking off, another is waiting in the queue, while others are being pushed from the apron (area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, or boarded) to be taken to the taxiway that connects the runway. It is the same story when they start arriving at the airport in the evenings," said another airport official.

The airport lounge, too, resembles the runway - crowded with politicians and their supporters. "Everyday, politicians share the same space in the lounge with their rivals before heading to the rallies. The polls have become so tense that they don't talk to each other, not even share pleasantries," a CISF official said.

Most of the choppers have double engines and are supplied by private aviation firms based in Delhi and Mumbai, and charge around Rs 2.5 lakh for two hours. Even some big corporate houses have given their choppers, but the deals with the political parties are confidential.

The parking lot outside the airport is also in a mess, with a large number of vehicles belonging to supporters of politicians who come to see their netas off, being parked everyday. Then there are the taxis and the autorickshaws. From frisking politicians and their supporters to bringing order at the airport, the CISF personnel are feeling the heat of the unprecedented footfall.

According to sources, the daily footfall at the terminal building was nearly 3,000 against its actual capacity of 700 people last week. The rush was also because of Dussehra and Muharram. A senior CISF official said the 190 employees of the paramilitary force are "stressed out" as they have been working without leave for the past month. Initially, several politicians cutting across parties and their supporters "misbehaved" with CISF personnel and even tried to browbeat them over the mandatory frisking at the airport. Even MPs are not exempted from frisking.

"A BJP supporter even threatened our personnel, saying he would ensure their transfer after November 8, the day voting result is declared," said a senior CISF official.

In its report sent to the Union home ministry, the paramilitary force has listed the names of politicians and their supporters who misbehaved when asked for frisking before entering the terminal and also tried to enter the airport through the VIP or the exit gates to avoid rush.

"We acted sternly and asked the politicians and their supporters to undergo frisking or they won't be allowed inside. After several rounds of arguments, things have fallen in place and they have now given in," the official added.

A few months ago, the official recounted, BJP MP from Patliputra Ram Kripal Yadav allegedly tried to enter the airport though an exit gate to avoid the rush at the common entry point. After being prevented by a CISF woman constable, the Union minister created a scene at the airport and later apologised after the issue was reported in the media.

"Following the model code of conduct, the Election Commission sent a letter to us saying all movements inside the airport terminal should be carried out through a normal channel, be it arrival or departure," said another CISF official.

According to protocol, only the chief minister and his deputy are allowed to enter his vehicle through the VIP gate to reach the tarmac.