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J & K CM Mehbooba Mufti wins by-poll by 12,000 votes

by IBNS 24 Jun 2016, 11:52 pm

Srinagar, June 25 (IBNS) Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday won the bypoll for the Anantnag assembly constituency by a margin of over 12,000 votes, reports said.

She defeated her nearest rival Hilal Ahamad Shah of the Congress.

Mufti, who assumed office as Chief Minister, fought  a three-corner contest in the by-poll. Apart from Shah, Iftikar Misger of the National Conference was in the contest as her opponent.

Mufti had to fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting elected to the state Assembly within six months. She was  an MP from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency when she assumed office as Chief Minister in April.

The counting, which began at 8 am, 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.