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J & K : Mehbooba Mufti leads by 6,000 votes, Anantnag counting underway

by IBNS 25 Jun 2016, 10:22 am

Srinagar, June 25 (IBNS) : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has taken a handsome lead of more than 6,000 votes as counting is underway in Anantnag by-polls, reports said.

 Mufti, who assumed office as Chief Minister, is locked in a three-corner contest in the by-poll with Hilal Shah of the Congress and Iftikar Misger of the National Conference to fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting elected to the state Assembly within six months. She is currently an MP from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. 

However, the counting was disrupted for a brief period following allegations of tampering of votes by all  opposition parties, including National Conference.

Media reports quoted  Congress candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah as saying, "Machines were without seal and signatures on them didn't match. It's a brazen election rigging by ruling party and administration is party to this rigging."

The district magistrate, however, denied allegations. "They tried to break an EVM and when we tried to discipline them they started protesting," said Abid Rashid Shah, district magistrate Anantnag, who is also district election officer.

Elections were necessitated in Anantnag constituency due to the death of Mehbooba Mufti's father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January seven this year.