Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s bags were checked by Election Commission (EC) officials in Palghar on Wednesday, following his arrival at the Palghar Police ground helipad. This incident comes in the wake of a public row triggered by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who recently raised questions over the election authorities’ decision to inspect his bags during visits to Latur and Yavatmal.
Thackeray had expressed his dissatisfaction after his bags were checked by election officials at the two locations, questioning whether such checks would be applied to other prominent political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. Speaking at a public rally in Wani, Thackeray quipped, “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 Deputy CM Fadnavis?”
The incident stirred up a political controversy, with Thackeray suggesting that the actions of the EC officials were inconsistent and questioning whether the same scrutiny would be applied to high-profile leaders from other parties.
In response, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis downplayed Thackeray’s protests, accusing him of trying to divert attention from the real issues by unnecessarily protesting against the bag inspections. Fadnavis emphasized that such checks were a routine part of election procedures, pointing out that his own campaign team had undergone similar checks during their travels. “What is wrong with checking bags? We had our bags checked during campaigning, and there was no need for this level of frustration,” Fadnavis stated.
The Election Commission’s actions have once again highlighted the ongoing political tensions in Maharashtra, especially as the state gears up for upcoming elections.
