Zufar Ahmad Farooqui was elected chairman of UP Central Sunni Waqf Board for the fourth consecutive term on Tuesday.
Cross-voting by Samajwadi Party MLA Abrar Ahmed helped Farooqui win the election by one vote. There were 11 voters and Imran Mabood of Samajwadi Party received five votes while Farooqui polled six votes.
Earlier, on March 7, eight members were elected unopposed to the UP Central Sunni Waqf Board. Only Sunni Muslims are allowed to contest polls for the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board. A total of eight members are elected to the Sunni Waqf based on a system of quota from different sections. Of the eight members, two are selected from mutawalli (caretaker) quota, two from MP quota, two from MLA/MLC quota and two from Bar Council quota.
On January 25, the Allahabad High Court had set aside the state government's order extending the term of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board. The court appointed the principal secretary of Minority Welfare Department as the Waqf Board's administrator and he was asked to ensure that the polls were held, and then hand over charge to an elected Board by February 28.
The last Board was appointed as per the Waqf Act of 1995 on April 1, 2015 for a five-year term. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government had extended the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board's term by six months, and on September 30 last year, it had extended it by another six months.
Zufar Ahmad Farooqui elected chairman of UP Sunni Waqf Board
Wednesday, 10 March 2021 | PNS
| Lucknow
Zufar Ahmad Farooqui elected chairman of UP Sunni Waqf Board
Wednesday, 10 March 2021 | PNS | Lucknow
