“If I Don’t Win By A Margin Of Three Lakh Votes, Know That The Elections Were Unfair”: SP Leader Azam Khan

Joining the opposition bandwagon over the electronic voting machines (EVM) and the Election Commission (EC) after the exit polls projected a second successive term for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the ever controversial SP leader Azam Khan said that if he does not win by a margin of over three lakh votes in Rampur, it means elections were not fair, reports Zee News.

The opposition parties, particularly after the exit polls, have been crying foul alleging that the EVMs were tampered with and changed in several parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, EC has dismissed all the allegations of EVM manipulation, calling the charges baseless and frivolous. EC also added that the commission adhered to the strict ‘protocol’ to keep the EVMs safe and secure before the counting of votes on 23 May.

Khan has courted controversies on several occasions in the past. Contesting against BJP’s Jayaprada in Rampur, he was issued a notice by National Women Commission for his derogatory remarks against the actress-turned-politician. Khan was banned from campaigning at least twice for his provocative remarks. While Khan remained unapologetic, his son blamed the EC, saying that he was being targeted because he was a Muslim.

In 2014, he said that "the peaks of Kargil were conquered not by Hindu, but Muslims soldiers.” An FIR was also filed against him over the matter. He had also called Bharat Mata a “dayan” (witch), and later clarified that the comment was in the context of his “religious beliefs”. He was also in the news, when some of his buffaloes were stolen, and sniffer dogs and hundreds of policemen were deployed for the job of finding them.

India’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh voted across the seven phases of the general election between 11 April and 19 May. The final counting will take place on 23 May.