Poll officials check Rahul's helicopter

A helicopter carrying Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was checked by election officials in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris on Monday, sources said. The flying squad officials searched the helicopter after it landed in the Nilgiris, police said. Sources in the poll panel said that Rahul Gandhi's helicopter search was a part of standard instructions to ensure free and fair elections. The incident occurred while Rahul Gandhi was on his way to Wayanad, his Lok Sabha constituency, in Kerala, where he had a slew of campaign activities, including a roadshow and a public meeting. Rahul Gandhi will be pitted against Annie Raja from the Communist Party of India (CPI), which is an ally of the Opposition INDIA bloc. His BJP opponent is K Surendran, the party's Kerala unit chief.