The hotly contested Telangana State Waqf Board (TSWB) polls saw Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini and Abul Fateh Syed Bandagi Badeshah Quadri emerging as winners.
The electoral college comprised 475 voters under the Mutawalli and Managing Committee Member Category. Of this as many as 264 votes were polled, another 36 were declared as invalid.
Unlike in the past, when there were only two candidates, this year, as many as seven candidates were in the fray, of which five were first time contenders.
Apart from Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini, who is the Mutawalli of Dargah Hazrat Shah Khamosh waqf institution, first time candidate Abul Fateh Syed Bandagi Badeshah Quadri from Dargah Hazrat Bandagi Badeshah Quadri in Balakonda, Nizamabad too won. While the former polled 211 votes, the latter secured 34 votes.
All eyes were on the Muslim Member of State Bar Council category. With only two members of State Bar Council - Z H Javeed and M A K Mukheed, a first time candidate - voting for themselves, the winner was decided by a draw of lots, as decided by District Collector L Shraman. The draw of lots resulted in Mr Javeed, who was a member of the previous elected board, winning.
Under the Muslim Member of State Legislature, Telangana Rahstra Samithi Member of Legislative Council Farooq Hussain and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Member of Legislative Assembly representing Karwan, Kausar Mohiuddin were elected unanimously. Further, since Hyderabad Parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi is the sole Muslim Member of Parliament in the State, he was elected by default.
Sources at the TSWB said that while elections have concluded, for the full board to be constituted, the State government has to nominate members which include eminent personalities, including two women, who are from the fields of administration, finance, engineering or architecture and medicine.