J&K: Mehbooba Mufti Wins Anantnag Seat by Over 11,000 Votes

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday comfortably won Anantnag seat in south Kashmir by over 11,000 votes.

Eight candidates including Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress and Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of the National Conference were contenders for the seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mehbooba over her win. "Congratulations to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti for the phenomenal victory in the Anantnag assembly by-election," tweeted Modi.

The constituency has over 84,000 eligible voters and a total of nearly 28,500 voted on June 22 despite poll boycott called by separatist politicians and militants.

The by-election in Anantnag was necessitated because of the death of the then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who represented the constituency in the 87-member legislative house.

Sayeed died in New Delhi on January 7 after a brief illness.

Mehbooba Mufti assumed power after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of the PDP-BJP coalition government on April 4.

It is mandatory for a chief minister or any other minister in the state to become a member of either house of state's bicameral legislature within six months of being sworn in.

At present, Mehbooba Mufti represents the south Kashmir Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament.

(With additional information from IANS)