Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari's helicopter was searched by Election Commission officials in the Latur district of Maharashtra on Tuesday, November 13. This comes amid a row a day after Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray's bags were checked in Yavatmal and Latur.
A video shared on social media shows election officials boarded the helicopter and checked the belongings of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari after he landed in Latur. EC officials said Uddhav Thackeray's bags were checked as part of SOPs for "a level playing field".
The bag-checking of Uddhav Thackeray sparked controversy, with the Shiv Sena UBT chief claiming it was undue hassle aimed at the BJP-led Mahayuti government ahead of Assembly elections in Maharashtra scheduled for November 20. With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force, poll officials regularly carry out surprise checks to prevent the distribution of gifts and cash to lure voters.
BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted a video of Nitin Gadkari and his chopper being checked by poll officials. Malviya criticized Uddhav Thackeray by comparing him with Nitin Gadkari.
Malviya shared a post on X, said, "Earlier in the day, @ECISVEEP officials checked senior BJP leader and Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji’s chopper too. Unlike Uddhav Thackeray, who behaved like a street thug and threatened the EC personnel, Gadkari ji’s team was graceful and dignified. See the difference?"
Thackeray's bag was first checked on Monday after his chopper landed in Yavatmal. It was checked again on the next day in Latur, where he was seeing former MLA Dinkar Mane, the Sena (UBT) candidate in the Ausa constituency. The Shiv Sena (UBT) posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), showing Thackeray conversing with the poll officials, questioning the need for repeated searches.
In the video, Thackeray, visibly perturbed, asked the officials for their names, postings, and appointment letters. "How many people have you searched so far?" he asked.
Also Read | Uddhav Thackeray’s Bag Checked for Second Consecutive Day, Election Commission Responds.
When informed that he was the first person to be checked, Thackeray replied, "Why am I always the first customer?" The former Chief Minister was also heard asking if the election authorities also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah when they come to Maharashtra to address rallies.