Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had his bags checked by Election Commission officials on Wednesday after his helicopter landed at the Palghar Police ground helipad. This scrutiny followed remarks by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who questioned the Election Commission’s impartiality after his own bags were inspected by officials in Latur and Yavatmal districts during recent visits.
Thackeray, while not personally critical of the officials conducting the inspections, raised concerns about consistent enforcement, questioning if similar checks are conducted on high-profile leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking at a public meeting in Wani, Thackeray said, “I am not angry with [the ECI officials] as they were doing their duty. But… do they check the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, that bearded person (referring to Eknath Shinde), the man with the pink jacket (referring to Ajit Pawar), and that deputy CM Fadnavis?”
The Election Commission has not yet commented on Thackeray’s statements or on the broader implementation of inspection protocols for all leaders.
