During the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign, Election Commission officials carried out bag inspections on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde upon his arrival by helicopter at the Palghar Police ground helipad.
This incident occurred on Wednesday, following a recent controversy stirred by Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), who questioned election authorities after they checked his bags in Latur and Yavatmal.
Thackeray raised concerns about whether similar checks were being applied to other high-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Shinde himself. Referring humorously to Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, he clarified that his issue wasn’t with officials performing their duties but with the fairness of such checks across different leaders.
Responding to Thackeray’s remarks, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissed them as an attempt to shift focus and potentially garner sympathy votes. Fadnavis asserted that security checks are a routine measure, pointing out that his own bags, along with those of Ajit Pawar, were inspected by EC officials in Baramati.
This exchange underscores the Election Commission’s intensified scrutiny during the election season, as well as ongoing tensions among Maharashtra’s political figures.
