Mumbai: The Election Commission (EC) went for a second day in a row to inspect Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s helicopter on Tuesday, a move which has only added to the charged political atmosphere in Maharashtra. On Monday, EC officials also inspected Thackeray’s belongings. Political temperatures have risen in Maharashtra’s runup to the assembly elections, with the repeated checks.
EC sources, however, confirmed that the checks were conducted according to the standard operating procedure (SOP) introduced in the build-up to the elections. Inspections of vehicles and other belongings of leading political figures are standard practice, aimed at guaranteeing transparency, these sources said. In the past election, the EC also conducted similar inspections on BJP leaders, including party president J.P. Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, the EC had noted.
Thackeray was inspecting the work when the inspections began on Monday, he was campaigning in Yavatmal district’s Wani constituency for Sanjay Derkar. After he landed by helicopter, EC staff soon inspected his bag. While Thackeray was examined by EC officials again on his helicopter and belongings as he landed in Osmanbad’s Ausa cte constituency on another campaign stop on Tuesday, the EC kept itself in the press and public glare once more.
Almost back to back checks became talking point and followed by political reactions of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders. The Election Commission is just doing its job, but should do it impartially, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, crying foul over the ban on campaigning and issuance of election notices to party’s interim chief Uddhav Thackeray. They have done this before, even to our homes, they’ve checked our belongings, helicopters, private jets, and cars. We don’t mind as long as they’re fair.” But he alleged if similar scrutiny was not applied to BJP leaders and bigwigs such as Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
Raut also expressed his apprehension about discrepancies in election spending and transportation by some political leaders. He asked: ‘Do the convoys of leaders like Fadnavis, Shinde, Ajit Pawar, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have been checked (by the EC)? We should only want our belongings to be checked if needed, that’s all.’
Maharashtra Election and its Implications
Maharashtra’s political environment has sharpened as leaders hold rallies ahead of the November 20 poll in which all 288 assembly seats will be fought in a single phase. The EC’s actions are closely watched by all sides, as the results are due to be announced on 23 November.
As more and more inspections are done on Thackeray’s helicopter as the campaign progresses, the intrusion of scrutiny over the EC processes and the consistency with which election oversight is taking place is an additional layer of scrutiny.
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