In a high-stakes election season, the Election Commission’s move to search Rahul Gandhi’s bag during his campaign in Amravati, Maharashtra, on Saturday has stirred significant political reactions. The Congress leader, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, became the latest high-profile politician subjected to baggage inspection ahead of the November 20 voting in the state.
The inspection occurred when Gandhi’s helicopter landed at a helipad in Dhamangaon Railway, one of the eight assembly constituencies in the Amravati district. The Congress MP was in the area to address a rally as part of the ongoing election campaign.
While the Election Commission (EC) has mandated such checks to ensure compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the incident quickly took on a political dimension. Congress leaders accused the poll body of bias, questioning why similar scrutiny wasn’t applied to leaders of the ruling BJP-led coalition.
Teosa MLA and former Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur was among the first to voice her indignation. “Why don’t they check the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde?” she asked, implying selective targeting.
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The criticism extended beyond the Congress, with Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and a Congress ally, also condemning the actions. Thackeray, who faced similar checks twice earlier in the week—first in Yavatmal and then in Latur—called the practice unnecessary and accused the EC of partiality.
The Election Commission, however, defended its actions, emphasizing that such inspections are standard procedure under the MCC. To counter allegations of bias, videos surfaced showing baggage checks conducted on various leaders from the ruling Mahayuti coalition. This included prominent figures such as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, as well as Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari.
The baggage inspections come at a critical juncture as Maharashtra heads to the polls. The single-phase election on November 20 is crucial for both the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP factions.
While the EC maintains that its measures are impartial, incidents like these underline the highly polarized nature of election campaigns, where even routine checks can ignite political controversy.
As both sides escalate their rhetoric, voters await the results on November 23 to determine the political direction of Maharashtra.
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