Eknath Shinde’s helicopter checked in Maharashtra amid Uddhav Thackeray bag row

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s helicopter was checked by election officials after he arrived in Palghar on Wednesday to campaign for the Assembly elections. In a video obtained by India Today TV, the chief minister was seen engaging with the poll officials as they checked the helicopter and skimmed through his belongings.

Eknath Shinde’s helicopter was checked after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged that his bags were checked by poll officials twice, once in Yavatmal, and once in Latur, in an attempt to cause undue hassle for the opposition leaders.
In a video shot by Uddhav Thackeray himself, poll officials could be seen going through his belongings. As the officials went through his belongings, the former chief minister asked if they also checked the bags of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
He further asked if the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were also checked when they arrived in Maharashtra to campaign for the Assembly polls.
Responding to his claims, poll officials claimed that strict SOPs were followed to “level the playing field” ahead of Assembly elections in the state on November 20.
With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force, poll officials regularly carry out surprise checks to prevent distribution of gifts and cash to lure voters.
In other videos that surfaced, poll officials were seen checking the helicopter of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday after he arrived in Latur.
Launching verbal punches at the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, BJP shared a video showing Devendra Fadnavis’s bags being similarly checked by airport authorities.
In a jab at Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP remarked that “some leaders have a habit of showing off”.
“What is wrong with checking bags? We had our bags checked during campaigning, and there was no need for this level of frustration,” Devendra Fadnavis said.
While adding insult to injury and in an apparent response to Uddhav’s remark, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar shared a video claiming his bags were also checked by poll officials while he was on his way to campaign for the Assembly elections.
“I fully cooperated and believe that such measures are essential to ensure free and fair elections. Let us all respect the law and support efforts to uphold the integrity of our democracy,” he said.
Thackeray, who stepped down as Chief Minister in 2022 following a rebellion in the Shiv Sena by Eknath Shinde, had said if the poll authorities do not inspect the bags of leaders of the ruling alliance, then workers of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi would check them.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on November 20 and the counting of votes will be held three days later.