NC retains Sonwar assembly seat

National Conference today retained Sonwar assembly seat in Kashmir when its candidate Mohammad Yasin Shah defeated PDP's candidate by a slender margin of 50 votes.       

Shah polled 9,306 votes while Mohammad Ashraf Mir finished close behind at 9,256 votes. Awami National Conference candidate got 1,115 votes.       

The by-election to this assembly seat was necessitated after National Conference President Farooq Abdullah vacated it following his election to the Rajya Sabha.       

Sonwar had seen a close fight in the December 2008 assembly election also, when Abdullah defeated his PDP rival Ghulam Qadir Paradesi in the constituency by a margin of mere 94 votes. Abdullah had polled 7,018 votes against 6,924 by Paradesi.      

Paradesi had since joined NC and was elected to the state legislative council.