No Exceptions: ECI Clarifies Equal Scrutiny for All Political Leaders in Maharashtra Assembly Elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to a level playing field for all political parties during the ongoing assembly elections, responding to allegations of biased scrutiny of opposition leaders’ belongings.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized that enforcement agencies were instructed to check helicopters and belongings of all leaders without exception. The issue of biased inspections was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe. Thackeray had questioned on social media whether the ECI would dare to inspect bags of BJP leaders like PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He was subjected to a bag check at Latur on Tuesday.

Officials cited examples from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, mentioning inspections of helicopters of top BJP leaders, including JP Nadda and Amit Shah, as per Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Local reports also confirmed that senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari’s bag was inspected at Killari.

The Chief Electoral Office reiterated that strict security protocols apply uniformly to all political figures. A total of 6,000 Stationary Survey Teams (SST) and Flying Squad Teams (FST) have been deployed across the state. These teams, including police and revenue officials, are tasked with inspecting vehicles, seizing suspicious money, liquor, or valuables to prevent vote-buying.

Voters are encouraged to report malpractices using the CVJIL app. The ECI stated it is committed to ensuring a fair and transparent election process, upholding the model code of conduct without exceptions for any party.

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