Uddhav Thackeray.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: A day after Shiv Sena (UBT) questioned the move of poll authorities checking the bag of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, sources in the Election Commission on Tuesday said aircraft and helicopters of top leaders across political spectrum are checked as part of standard operating procedure (SOP).
They said in the previous polls too, planes and helicopters of BJP president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah were checked.
"There have been strict SOPs followed by enforcement agencies for a level playing field. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a similar issue was raised in Bihar and it was clarified that the helicopters of prominent leaders, including Nadda was checked in district Bhagalpur on April 24 and Shah in district Katihar on April 21 were also checked as per SOP," a functionary pointed out.
The sources also recalled the statement of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during the announcement of ongoing assembly elections that directions have been given to the enforcement agencies to ensure checking of helicopters of all leaders for a level playing field.
Thackeray had on Monday claimed his bag was inspected by the election authorities when he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to campaign for the November 20 assembly elections.
The former chief minister asked if the election authorities would also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) also posted on X a video Thackeray recorded while poll officials were checking his bags on his arrival in Yavatmal.
In the video, Thackeray can be heard asking officials if they had similarly inspected the bags of any other senior leader or if they would check PM Modi or Union Home Minister Shah's bags.
Thackeray recounted this experience while addressing a public meeting at Wani in Yavatmal.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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