By IANS,
Lucknow: A no-nonsense poll officer Thursday rubbed Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav the wrong way after he refused to allow more than one security guard to enter the polling station along with him in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri constituency.
The former chief minister, who has Z plus security, was incensed with the election official when he went to cast his vote at the polling station in Saifai locality.
According to reports, what angered Mulayam Singh was poll official Malay Amitash’s remark that as per the rules, only one of his Black Cat commandos could be allowed to accompany him inside the polling station.
“Hume kanoon mat sikhao; hum chief minister rah chuke hain is pradeh ke (Don’t teach me the law. I have been chief minister of this state),” Mulayam Singh said, trying to intimidate the official.
The SP chief then demanded to know which cadre the officer belonged to. Amitash replied, “I am from the Karnataka cadre and I am here on election duty,” leaving Mulayam Singh nonplussed.
The polite official succeeded in calming down Mulayam Singh.
Still in a foul mood, Mulayam Singh also questioned the deployment of armed Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) soldiers in proximity of the EVMs.
“Why are the ITBP cops standing so close to the EVM machines and why were they standing so close to voters, particularly women?
“Isn’t that very intimidating ?” he asked.
After casting his vote, the three-time former chief minister told reporters outside, “I will support only such a dispensation which promises to dismiss the Mayawati government in the state.”
He added, “No party or alliance would be in a position to form the next government at the centre without the support of the Samajwadi Party.”
“We saved the UPA government by extending our support to it on the nuclear deal; and the Congress ought to remember that if it is surviving today, it is solely on account of us,” Mulayam Singh said.