Counting in Anantnag today

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 24

The counting of votes for byelection to the Anantnag constituency of south Kashmir is scheduled to be held at Government Degree College, Anantnag, on Saturday, three days after the polling on Wednesday.

The results would declare the fate of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, seeking entry to the state Assembly after she took over on April 4, following the death of her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed on January 7 this year.

Seven other candidates in the fray are Iftikhar Hussain Misger of the Opposition National Conference and Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress. Other five Independent candidates include Tejinder Singh, Mujieb-ur-Rehman, Masroor Ahmad Mir, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah and Manzoor Ahmad Khan.

In the constituency having 84,067 voters, a total of 28,446 voted on Wednesday. This included 15,384 men and 13,062 women. Out of the 4,223 migrant voters, 638 voted in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi, an official here said.

Returning Officer Mohammad Aslam said that the counting would begin at 8 am. A counting hall has been earmarked for the purpose where 10 tables shall be set up and 11 rounds would be conducted for the counting of votes. The parties have been asked to depute their representatives on the counting day well in time. A control room has also been established at the venue to circulate information about the counted votes.

Similarly, the counting of votes would be held at Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi, simultaneously.

The Returning Officer scrutinised the diaries of presiding officers in presence of representative parties and found all papers in order and as such there shall be no re-poll at any polling booth. The strong room was sealed in presence of parties and shall be opened in their presence on the counting day.

Necessary security arrangements, including CCTV, have been put in place on the venue where the strong room has been established.