Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faced scrutiny during his Assembly election campaign in Amravati, Maharashtra, as Election Commission officials inspected his bag upon arrival. A video of the incident shows officials examining Gandhi's helicopter on the ground, with the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha standing nearby before walking off to interact with party members.

This inspection occurred a day after the Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that Gandhi's helicopter was grounded in Jharkhand due to restrictive measures. The party urged the poll body to ensure fair campaigning practices, claiming these actions disrupted Gandhi's schedule, causing delays and cancellations of public meetings.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the incident, suggesting it reflected bias against opposition leaders. He highlighted the need for impartiality to maintain a level playing field during elections.

The controversy has intensified following similar inspections of other political leaders' belongings. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray had earlier questioned whether the same scrutiny would apply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders. In response, BJP shared videos of Election Commission officials inspecting the belongings of NDA leaders such as Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar, arguing that the checks are routine measures to ensure electoral integrity.

Rahul Gandhi Takes a Dig at PM Modi

During his rally in Amravati, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi, claiming the latter's speeches now echo opposition statements. Gandhi humorously suggested that Modi might be experiencing memory loss, drawing a parallel to U.S. President Joe Biden's infamous memory lapses.

"My sister told me Modi ji’s recent speeches are mirroring our points. Maybe he’s losing his memory, like the former U.S. President, who needed reminders about world leaders. Similarly, our Prime Minister seems to be forgetting things," Gandhi quipped.

Maharashtra Gears Up for Elections

Maharashtra will hold a single-phase Assembly election on November 20. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is set to face the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and the Congress. The votes will be counted on November 23.