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The Congress on Friday threatened to pull out of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls if the Election Commission did not take corrective measures to prevent "malpractices" in the remaining two phases.
"With the recovery of an Electronic Voting Machine from the possession of a government employee 10 days after the polling concluded in Kupwara district, we apprehend that there may be more EVM's missing, thus paving the way for the National Conference to indulge in rigging," said Parvez Hashmi, Congress poll observer in the Kashmir valley.
"If the Election Commission fails to assure free and fairness of the subsequent polls in the state, it is useless for us to contest," Hashmi said.
He accused the Election Commission of not paying heed to several complaints of malpractices against the NC during the first two phases.
He added that a party delegation in Delhi would meet the EC to raise the issue.
"If there is no positive reply by Saturday, we will pull out of the polls," he said.
"Ninety-nine out of 100 people we meet in a day are against the incumbent government. If the NC wins even a single seat, it will be a testimony that the ruling party has rigged the polls," he said.
Hashmi accused the state government of terrorising voters to enforce a boycott for its benefit and endangering the lives of Congress candidates by providing inadequate security to them.
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