Counting of votes is underway, Saturday, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag Assembly constituency.
In the first round of counting of ballots so far, the Peoples Democratic Party has scored three votes, Congress one and NOTA one.
The results should be known before midday.
PDP leader and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress and Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of the National Conference are three of the eight candidates contesting from the constituency.
The by-election in Anantnag was necessitated in the wake of the death of the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who represented the constituency in the 87-member legislative house.
The constituency has over 84,000 eligible voters and a total of nearly 28,500 voted on Wednesday despite poll boycott called by separatist politicians and militants.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away 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.
