SOPs followed, says poll body on row over Uddhav Thackeray bag check: Sources

The Election Commission of India responded to the ongoing political slugfest over two incidents of frisking of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s bags, sources said. All SOPs were followed for levelling the playing field ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, sources quoted poll panel officials as saying.
A tug of war ensued between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) broke out after Uddhav Thackeray shared a video of election officials frisking his bags after he arrived in Yavatmal on Monday to campaign for the Assembly polls.
In another incident, Uddhav Thackeray’s bags were checked again at Latur on Tuesday, his son Aaditya Thackeray claimed and shared a video on X.
“While the Entirely Compromised commission shamelessly carries on trying to delay Uddhav Thackeray ji to his sabhas by frisking, the question is, why isn’t the PM or other ministers visiting Maharashtra to promote BJP’s loot being frisked this way?” Aaditya said while sharing the video.
With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force, poll officials regularly carry out surprise checks to prevent distribution of gifts and cash to lure voters.
The video, presumably shot by Thackeray himself, shows him asking the poll officials if they checked the bags of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. He can also be heard asking the officials if they check the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah when they come to Maharashtra to address election rallies.
“You are following your responsibility and I will perform my responsibility… The way you inspected my bag, did you inspect the bags of Modi and Shah?” he asked.
Uddhav was scared of his “stolen money” getting caught, Mahayuti leaders quipped in response to Uddhav’s remark. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, too, joined the bandwagon, alleging that huge sums of money were being distributed in Maharashtra by Eknath Shinde and his deputies.
“The Election Commission does its work, we have no problem. But, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar have sent Rs 25 crore each… Does the Election Commission check the luggage and helicopters of Mahayuti leaders? Do Mahayuti leaders have only underwear in their bags?” Raut said.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh attacked the BJP over the incident, with the former claiming it was an attempt to “trouble their opponents”.