The by-election in Anantnag took place following the death of the then Jammu and Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The counting of votes for South Kashmir's Anantnag assembly constituency, where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti contesting, began on Saturday morning. In the first round of counting of ballots so far the PDP has scored three votes, Congress one and NOTA one. Mufti is leading in the first round of Anantnag by-election counting.
Mufti was leading by over 1300 votes after the first round of counting in the bypoll to Anantnag Assembly constituency. After the first round, Mehbooba had polled 1826 votes followed by Hilal Ahmad Shah of Congress (516) and Iftikhar Misger of National Conference (316), District Election Authorities said. Mehbooba is among eight candidates in the bypoll for Anantnag Assembly seat which was necessitated due to death of incumbent MLA and then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 this year. Polling in the constituency was held on June 22 during which over 28,000 of the 84,000 voters exercised their franchise.
Hilal Shah has created a ruckus in counting hall, saying that all EVMs have been changed, are without labels. The counting for the bypoll to Anantnag Assembly seat of Jammu and Kashmir was today suspended after Congress candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah alleged that the EVMs have been tampered with.
The counting was stopped after Shah and his agents walked out of the counting hall, officials said. They said Shah alleged that some EVMs were not carrying the mandatory seal and might have been changed in the process to favour Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is a candidate from the seat.
However, the counting was resumed later.
Eight candidates, including Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress and Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of the National Conference are in the fray.
The by-election in Anantnag took place following the death of the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who represented the constituency in the 87-member legislative house. Sayeed passed away in New Delhi on 7 January after a brief illness. Mehbooba assumed office after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of the PDP-BJP coalition government on April 4.
Mehbooba, who is not member of any of the House, is presently MP from south Kashmir Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament.
With agency inputs.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Mufti")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}