SEC cancels candidature of 2 PoK women

Srinagar, Mar 6: The State Election Commission (SEC) today ordered re-polling in two District Development Council (DDC) constituencies in Kupwara and Bandipora where the counting of the votes was halted due to the disputed qualification of two candidates.

The SEC ordered the cancellation of the candidature of both the candidates based on their citizenship and has also stated that both the candidates have put on record false information regarding their citizenship.

The SEC said that the polling held at the DDC constituency Dragmulla as well as Hajin-A shall be declared as void, while also ordering the cancellation of the candidature of Soomia Sadaf and Shazia Begum.

The Commission said that there shall be re-poll in the DDC constituency Dragmulla district Kupwara as well as Hajin-A—excluding Soomia Sadaf and Shazia Begum.

It has also ordered that the re-poll at both the constituencies shall be held by re-drawing the list of contesting candidates after dropping the names of these two candidates.

The re-poll for DDC constituency Dragmulla district Kupwara and Hajin-A, as per the SEC, will be conducted under the applicable election rules, guidelines, on a date to be notified by the Election Authority, through a separate order.

Both the women, originally hailing from PoK do not hold citizenship of the country.

Soomia Sadaf had contested DDC elections from Dragmulla constituency of Kupwara while Shazia Begum had contested elections from Hajin-A constituency of Bandipora.
However, after the complaints, the counting of votes polled at both places was stopped.

The SEC said that a complaint dated 09-12-2020 was received by State Election Commission in respect of Soomia Sadaf, a contesting candidate (Independent) for DDC constituency Dragmulla, alleging therein that she is not a bonafide Indian citizen.

“The complainant mentioned that she is a resident of Muzaffarabad, PoK and an illegal entrant into the country and therefore is not a citizen of India. In her reply to the notice served upon, Soomia Sadaf could not produce any valid document to justify her citizenship in the Indian part, which could be taken as authentic as per provisions of Citizenship Act, 1955,” the SEC said.