New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s bags were checked by Election Commission (EC) officials in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Friday, in the latest of a series of examinations of the luggage of high-profile political leaders visiting the poll-bound state, amid allegations that only the Opposition was being targeted.

In a post on X, Mr Shah shared a video of polling officials checking his luggage in the chopper as he arrived at Hingoli assembly seat to address an election rally.

“Today, during my election campaign in Hingoli Assembly constituency of Maharashtra, my helicopter was inspected by Election Commission officials. BJP believes in fair elections and healthy election system and follows all the rules made by the Honourable Election Commission,” he said, as he posted a video of the search on the micro-blogging platform.

“We all must contribute to a healthy election system and perform our duties in keeping India as the strongest democracy in the world,” he added.

The developments came at a time when bags of several politicians, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s Maharashtra President Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, have been frisked by polling officials in the western state in the last five days.

On Monday, a political row erupted after Mr Thackeray’s luggage was checked by polling officials, as he travelled across the state to campaign for the November 20 elections. His luggage has been checked at least three more times since then, sparking a huge row between his faction of the Sena and the rival group led by Mr Shinde.

At one point, Mr Thackeray was seen grilling a polling official who was waiting to search the former’s bags as he deboarded his chopper. In a gruff tone, the Shiv Sena (UBT) boss sought to know the officer’s name (Mahesh Shani) and see his ID card.

Mr Thackeray also said the EC does not search bags of leaders from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Mahayuti alliance – a claim that was dismissed by polling officials, who said the frisking was a “routine procedure” ahead of the polls.

Amid the controversy, Sena leader Sanjay Raut had sought to know if the luggage of Mr Shinde and his deputies, Mr Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah were checked in a similar manner.

To counter the Opposition’s claims, the Maharashtra BJP on Wednesday posted a video on X showing the checking of Mr Fadnavis’ bags, and said merely holding the Constitution for “show” is not enough and one must also follow the constitutional system – a dig at the Congress over a controversy involving its party MP Rahul Gandhi. Mr Shinde’s luggage was also checked on Wednesday at Palghar Police ground helipad as part of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Wednesday, Mr Shinde said it was a routine procedure for EC officials to carry out such checks. “So why the fuss and why the fear? We don’t create videos and post. They are doing their job, we are doing ours,” he said.

New Delhi:

A routine check of Uddhav Thackeray’s luggage in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal Monday afternoon – shortly after the ex-Chief Minister arrived to address a rally before next week’s Assembly election – has triggered a row Tuesday between his Shiva Sena faction and the group led by Eknath Shinde.

Taking up arms for his party this morning, Thackeray Sena strongman Sanjay Raut demanded to know if bags belonging to ruling party bigwigs – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – were similarly checked when they were campaigning.

The Shinde Sena hit back swiftly; party spokesperson Krishna Hegde told NDTV Mr Raut has a “habit of making wild allegations” and pointed out Mr Shinde’s bags had, in fact, been checked. This was in Nashik, when the Chief Minister was campaigning for the April-June general election. “Shindeji did not make a fuss… didn’t create an uproar like the Uddhav Thackeray camp,” Mr Hegde declared.

There is no bias in the Election Commission’s actions, Mr Hedge insisted. “I don’t know why they are making this fuss. If you have nothing to hide… then why protest?”

Earlier Mr Raut told reporters, “Our luggage, helicopter, private jet, cars… everything is checked. They search our homes also… but we don’t have a problem if it is done impartially. But, where Eknath Shinde and (Deputy Chief Ministers) Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis are contesting, Rs 25 crores have already reached…” the Sena (UBT) leader said, alleging that cash is being exchanged for votes.

“Our luggage is checked but are the helicopters and cars of Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah also checked? Are there only clothes in their bags? Are (election) observers not able to see the money distribution going on in Maharashtra?”

डॉ. बाबासाहेबांनी लिहिलेल्या संविधानात सगळ्यांना समान न्याय हे आम्ही मानतोच.पण यंत्रणांना हाताशी धरुन लोकशाहीला पायदळी तुडवून हुकुमत गाजविणाऱ्या दिल्लीश्वरांनी मात्र त्या संविधानाचा सगळ्याच पातळ्यांवर अवमान करायचा ठरवलं आहे.
आज उद्धवसाहेबांच्या सामानाची वणी येथे काही… pic.twitter.com/XyM53sKOsy

— ShivSena – शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) November 11, 2024

Mr Raut also referred to the row over a check of Mr Modi’s helicopter in April 2019; the official in question was suspended but, amid outrage from the opposition, the suspension was revoked.

A video of the officer caught in the political crossfire over the search of Mr Thackeray’s bag was shared on X by the party. The 150-second video shows the official being grilled by Mr Thackeray, who asks him his name and then says, “I won’t stop you… you are following your responsibility.”

“But have you searched the bags of Devendra Fadnavis, Narendra Modi, or Amit Shah?” Mr Thackeray asks, to which the officer says, “No, sir.” He then briefly checks a brown duffle and a blue icebox.

The furore over checking of bags plays out during every election, federal or state, with each party or alliance accusing the other of transporting vast amounts of cash to buy votes. The search of Mr Shinde’s bags in May was reportedly prompted by claims money was being transported.

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Officials said they found “nothing objectionable” in Mr Shinde’s bags.

Voting for Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats will be held on November 20, with results due three days later. Mr Thackeray’s Sena group is allied with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party against the BJP and the Sena and NCP factions led by Mr Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

With input from agencies

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