SRINAGAR: (May 1) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday warned of a “dangerous trend” in the electoral process, saying that if the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls affects the outcome of the West Bengal assembly elections, it would set a treacherous precedent against which the political parties need to safeguard themselves.
Responding to questions about the ongoing West Bengal assembly elections and recent tensions outside a strong room in Kolkata, he emphasised that safeguarding EVMs after the vote remains a critical responsibility for any party. Drawing a parallel with the era of physical ballot boxes, he noted that maintaining a presence outside strong rooms is a long-standing practice for ensuring security.
“We used to do the same when ballot boxes were there. We used to keep our people outside the strong room,” Abdullah said while defending the right of leaders like Mamata Banerjee to maintain such vigilance. ( PTI )
