PDP nominee leads in Budgam bypoll, NC candidate trailing

Srinagar, Nov 14: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Aga Syed Muntazir was leading by a margin of more than 2,000 votes over his nearest rival and National Conference (NC) candidate Aga Syed Mehmood in the Budgam assembly bypoll in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

According to the Election Commission website, PDP's Muntazir had secured 8,690 votes and Mehmood 6,656 votes by the end of six rounds of counting. There will be a total of 17 rounds of counting.

BJP's Aga Syed Mohsin was a distant sixth with 1,132 votes.

A total of 17 candidates were in the fray.

The counting of votes for the bypoll began at 8 am at Government Higher Secondary School in Budgam.

A voter turnout of 50.02 per cent was recorded in the November 11 bypoll. The Budgam constituency had around 1.26 registered voters.

The Budgam bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat and chose his family bastion of Ganderbal after winning from both constituencies in the assembly elections last year.