Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday filed her nomination papers to contest by-poll from south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency that fell vacant due to the demise of her father and late CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The by-poll would be held on June 19. Besides Mehbooba, eight more candidates from National Conference (NC) and Congress filed their papers.
Mehbooba is currently representing Anantnag lok Sabha seat and is required to be member of one of the two Houses of the State legislature within six months of becoming the CM. She was sworn in as the CM on April 4 after she agreed to renew the PDP-BJP alliance that ruled the State for 10 months under Mufti Sayeed's leadership.
Mehbooba skipped the ongoing Budget Session to file her nomination papers as a battery of party leaders accompanied her to the Deputy Commissioner's office. .
Speaking to reporters, Mufti expressed the hope that the people of Anantnag would repose faith in her and elect her in order to realise "Mufti Sayeed's dream of bringing peace and development to Jammu & Kashmir."
"Mufti Sahab started his political career from Anantnag and people of the area showed their trust in him during difficult times. I am hopeful that people will again repose their faith in PDP and give me an opportunity to serve them and fulfil the dream of late Mufti Sahab," she said.
Mehbooba has contested assembly elections thrice since 1996 when she plunged into politics and contested from Bijbehara as Congress candidate. She represented Pahalgam and Wachi constituencies in subsequent elections. Though Mehbooba has lost Parliament elections, she has never lost a contest in assembly polls.
Nine candidates --Mehbooba Mufti of PDP, Hilal Ahmad Shah of Congress and Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of NC are in the fray besides Tejinder Singh, Manzoor Ahmad Khan, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, Masroor Ahmad Mir and Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, all independents.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on June 2 and the nominations can be withdrawn byJune 4, 2016.