Amit Shah’s helicopter searched by poll officials in Maharashtra

Election Commission officials checked the helicopter and bags of Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his election campaign in Maharashtra’s Hingoli on Friday amid allegations from the Opposition that they were being targeted through bag checks in the poll-bound state.
Posting a video of the officials inspecting bags inside his helicopter, Amit Shah said the BJP believes in fair elections and follows all rules made by the Election Commission.
“Today, during my election campaign in Hingoli Assembly constituency of Maharashtra, my helicopter was inspected by Election Commission officials. BJP believes in fair elections and a healthy election system and follows all the rules made by the Honourable Election Commission,” he tweeted.

“We all must contribute to a healthy election system and perform our duties in keeping India as the strongest democracy in the world,” he said.
With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force, poll officials regularly carry out surprise checks of helicopters and bags of politicians to prevent distribution of gifts and cash to lure voters.
The development came after a war of words broke out between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray shared a video of election officials frisking his bags after he arrived in Yavatmal on Monday to campaign for the Assembly polls.
The video, presumably shot by Uddhav 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 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 PM Modi and Amit Shah?” he asked.
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. Sources in the Election Commission described Uddhav Thackeray’s bags as part of SOPs for “a level playing field”.
Amid the controversy, Election Commission officials checked the bags and helicopters of several high-profile leaders, including Fadnavis, Shinde and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Maharashtra, which has 288 Assembly seats, will vote in a single phase on November 20. Counting of votes will take place three days later.