If SIR affects West Bengal poll results, it would set a dangerous precedent: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, May 01: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said if the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls affects the outcome of the West Bengal assembly elections, it would set a dangerous precedent, against which the political parties need to safeguard themselves.

Responding to a question about the high drama outside a strong room at Bhabanipur in Kolkata on Thursday night, he said it is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s right to deploy people to guard the EVMs.

“I have always said that I do not accept pre-poll rigging, and that safeguarding the EVMs after the polls is our responsibility. We used to do the same when there were ballot boxes; we would keep our people outside the strong room. So, it was Mamata Banerjee’s right to keep people outside the strong room, and she did it,” he told reporters here.

Abdullah said vote theft is happening through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and not EVMs.

“There is a difference between EVM (hacking) and what they are doing through SIR. Today, stealing (votes) is not happening through EVMs but the SIR, unfortunately, through the Election Commission,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the West Bengal assembly election was a huge challenge for the opposition because if the SIR affected the poll outcome, it would be dangerous.

“This West Bengal election is a huge challenge for all of us because, God forbid, if the SIR shows its results, it can be very dangerous for all of us. We have to save ourselves from their attempt to rig the election by deleting voters from the voter list. I do not think anything can be done through the EVMs,” he added.

On exit polls, Abdullah said they would be proven wrong when the results come out on Monday.

“Which exit poll has been right till now? Five years ago, when the elections took place in West Bengal, all the exit polls had given the government to the BJP. But what was the result? We do not have to wait for long; the results will come on Monday,” he said.

The chief minister said as far as he understands, “all these exit polls will be proven wrong once again”.

Without taking names, he added, “One of them has refused to publish his exit poll because perhaps he did not like the results.”