Election officials in Maharashtra’s Latur conducted a check of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s helicopter on Tuesday as he arrived for a campaign event, following the controversy over the inspection of bags belonging to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray.

The incident took place after a video surfaced showing election officials inspecting bags aboard Gadkari’s helicopter. This came just a day after similar checks were carried out on Thackeray’s bags during his visits to Yavatmal and Latur for rallies ahead of the state Assembly elections on November 20.

Thackeray’s bag inspections had sparked a heated debate, with the former Chief Minister accusing the Election Commission of unfairly targeting the opposition. He questioned the need for repeated checks, particularly since they had not been applied to other political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In a video shared on social media, Thackeray was seen questioning the poll officials about their names and roles, sarcastically asking why he was always the “first customer” to undergo such checks. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also demanded to know if the Election Commission had conducted similar checks on the ruling Mahayuti leaders.

The Election Commission, which enforces the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections, explained that the bag inspections were standard procedure as part of efforts to ensure a level playing field and prevent the distribution of gifts or cash to influence voters.

Leaders from the ruling Mahayuti alliance defended the checks, asking why Thackeray opposed the procedure if he had nothing to hide. However, opposition leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition claimed the actions were part of a deliberate attempt to inconvenience the opposition ahead of the elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut pointed to allegations of financial misconduct by Mahayuti leaders, questioning whether their bags and helicopters were being similarly inspected.